The Way to a Better Life
by kimgray
Summary: Mollie ran away from her abusive husband when she feared for her life. She found a job with the WWE and is soon thrust into the world of sports entertainment. What happens when she sees WWE's biggest star nursing a broken heart, just like her? Cena/OC
1. Chapter 1 Runaway

Mollie looked up from the sink and into the mirror. She grabbed a nearby hand towel and wiped the water away that she had just splashed on her face. The handprint was still visible on her cheek and a fresh bruise was forming around her eye.

"How did I ever let it get like this?" she asked herself.

Ben had left to go out with his friends, just like he had done almost every night for the six months they had been married. Mollie didn't think a lot about it at first until it became a nightly occurrence. Every time she tried to say something about it, she withstood a verbal beat down.

Then came that first time he laid a hand to her. Mollie was late getting home from work one night and had forgotten to call and check in with Ben. He sat on the couch and waited for her to return.

_Flashback_

"_Where have you been?" Ben huffed._

"_I had so many customers come in to make payments at the last minute. I got stuck waiting on them. I'm sorry I didn't call," Mollie explained._

"_Can't you just tell the customers the office closes at 5?" he replied with a more stern tone._

"_Ben, I've told you. I work at an insurance company. People need to make their insurance payments. Sometimes I have to stay late," Mollie explained to him for the hundredth time._

"_Mollie, if you keep letting people run over you like that you'll be there till 8 or 9 o'clock every night," he continued his verbal assault._

"_Well, at least I'd be doing something productive instead of going out and doing God knows what…" she muttered under her breath._

_Ben stopped in his tracks and stared at his new wife. "What did you say?" he asked._

"_Nothing…" Mollie replied. She really didn't feel like getting in an argument with him tonight. She had had a very long day at work and the last thing on her mind was coming home to World War 3._

"_Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you…" he demanded._

"_Ben…I just…" Mollie tried to say just as Ben's palm connected with her cheek, sending her flying to the floor._

"_What the hell was that for?" she screamed as she got up off the floor._

"_For being disrespectful to me…" he replied as he grabbed his keys and walked out the door. Mollie heard his Toyota Tacoma pickup start up as he squealed tired and threw gravel leaving their driveway._

_Mollie fought back the tears as she sat down on the couch. 'What do I do?' she thought._

_She thought about packing a bag and leaving to go stay at her parents' house, but that would just be admitting defeat. Her parents didn't want her to marry Ben in the first place. They didn't think that he loved, cared for, and respected their only daughter as well as he should. _

_But Mollie loved him. Despite his faults, she loved him so much. He was the first guy she had ever kissed…ever fallen in love with…ever slept with. She knew that he didn't mean what he had just said and done. He couldn't have…_

_Later that night, Ben came back in with flowers. Mollie was asleep on the couch when he came in._

"_Hi…" he said meekly as he walked in, flowers in hand. "I'm so sorry Mol…"_

_She didn't say anything at first. She looked into his eyes and saw that he had been crying. It broke her heart to see the man that she loved more than anything so heartbroken. _

_He continued, "I never meant to hurt you. I don't know what came over me."_

"_I love you, but if you ever lay a hand on me again I'm gone," Mollie warned him._

Those words rang in her ears as she turned the light off in the bathroom and walked back into the living room. She plopped down on the couch and collapsed into a pool of tears. She couldn't believe she had let herself become one of these battered wives she had seen on TV and movies for years. The ones she had always wondered, "Why didn't they just leave?"

Mollie got on her knees and prayed, "God, I know that you meant marriage to be forever but not like this. Please forgive me for this but I want out." At that moment, she felt a thousand pounds lighter. She knew what she had to do.

She ran through the house packing a bag as quickly as possible. She knew she wouldn't be able to take much, and the biggest majority of her things would probably have to be left behind. She got what she could pack into her car, and then she left. She made sure to drive into town and go to the ATM. She pulled out everything she had in her personal savings account. She even pulled out some from their joint checking account just to make sure she'd have enough.

She got back into her Pontiac Grand Prix and hit the road. She didn't even stop by her parents to let them know what was going on. She knew she'd have to make that dreaded and difficult phone call later, when she got somewhere safe.

_3 Days Later_

The past three days had been sheer hell. After driving for five hours after leaving her house, she finally stopped and got a motel room. She called her parents to tell them where she was and what she had done. Even though they were angry at her for not telling them what had been going on all this time, they completely understood her need to leave. They assured her that they would go get all of her things and have them waiting on her when she got back

"More like if I ever get back," she said to herself as she checked into her third different hotel room in three different nights. This time she was in Stamford, Connecticut. She had made it all the way from her small town in Mississippi to Connecticut. Ben had called her cell phone non-stop since she left. She continued to ignore the calls one after another until her voice mail box was full.

She got into her hotel room and called her mother to let her know where she was. The next thing that she did was scrape together some change and got a soda and bag of chips from the vending machine. She planned to eat as cheap as possible until she became more settled.

Mollie came back from the vending machine and plopped down on the bed. She pulled out her cell phone and saw the ever-increasing number of voice mails from Ben, so she decided to finally listen to them.

_Voice mail #1: "Mollie, where are you? Please call me."_

_Voice mail #2: "Mollie, please call me. I'm worried sick about you."_

"Yeah right," Mollie said to herself.

_Voice mail #3: "Mollie, what's the deal? I called your parents and they said you were leaving. We need to talk."_

_Voice mail #4: "Mollie…you're not divorcing me. Do you hear me? You're not divorcing me!"_

That last voice mail pretty much told Mollie that she wouldn't be able to return for a while – a long while.

She was tired of running, so she thought she would just stay put. In the morning, she was going to start looking for a job. She also had several calls to make – explaining her absence from her job, calling a lawyer to start the divorce process, and anything else to cut her ties with her past life and move on.

_One week later_

In one week, Mollie had gotten the ball rolling on her divorce from Ben. She had also explained to her boss what happened. Even though it was very unlike her to leave any job without notice, he understood the situation and even wired her some money. Everyone at the office took up a collection for her.

She sat inside her motel room and sighed. She still hadn't talked to him, and she didn't plan on it. It was still way too soon. She knew that she better start looking for some sort of employment because the money was going to start running out. She borrowed the local newspaper from the front desk and pursued the want ads.

Then she got out the phone book and began looking for anything she might qualify – banks, insurance companies, etc. She thumbed through the yellow pages and saw the listing for the WWE corporate headquarters.

This brought a slight smile to her face. Mollie, since a very young age, had loved wrestling. It was something that she had inherited from both sets of her grandparents. She used to watch it any chance she got, even though her parents hated it. Ben wasn't much of a fan either, strictly forbidding her to watch it in their home. Mollie was smart enough to know that it wasn't "real" but it still fascinated her.

"It's worth a shot…" she said to herself. So, she hopped in the shower and got ready. She put on a simple black skirt and white dress shirt along with her black, high heel shoes. She went to the front desk and got directions to the office.

Within a few minutes drive, she pulled up to the infamous WWE Headquarters. She had dreamed of what this place would look like. Exiting her car and straightening herself out, Mollie grabbed her purse and resume and headed for the front doors. The doorman opened the door for her and she smiled with a nod in thanks.

She noticed that there wasn't anyone at the front desk and paper were scattered about, like someone had left in a hurry. Mollie found this odd but sat down anyway after signing in on the clipboard.

Twenty minutes had passed and Mollie still hadn't seen anyone approach the front desk. The phone had continued to ring and a rapid constant rate, line after line. Faxes were pouring in and emails were dinging on the computer screen.

Curiosity and annoyance got the best of the young woman so she stood, grabbed her things and took up residence at the front desk. She wasn't sure how the system worked but she figured it couldn't be that difficult.

"World Wrestling Entertainment, this is Mollie, how may I direct your call?" She asked sweetly into the headset she placed on her head. She waited for the person on the other end to respond and sent the caller to their intended place. 'I just hope that's what I'm supposed to do.' She thought.

Just as she transferred the final call that had come in a tall older looking woman in a nice, designer suit came up to the front desk. An angry look was scowled on her features.

"Excuse me but what do you think you're doing?" The woman asked.

"No one had been here for a good thirty minutes ma'am. I'm sorry if I had overstepped anyone's boundaries, but it looked like help was needed." Mollie replied. Then a call came in.

"World Wrestling Entertainment, this is Mollie, how can I help you?" She answered in front of the woman.

The woman, who was the HR manager, had a small smile on her face as she watched the redhead work. She had excellent telephone skills and seemed to have a great personality. She also was obviously willing to jump in wherever she saw a need if she would sit down at an unfamiliar desk and immediately start answering phones. For the past hour, they had been in a tizzy since the longtime front desk attendant, Mary, had decided to walk out and quit without any notice.

When Mollie finished transferring the latest phone call, the HR manager Barbara looked at her. Mollie was scared to death that she was about to be thrown out into the street without even the possibility of an interview.

Barbara said, "What's your name, sweetie?"

Mollie answered, "Mollie Garrison…"

Barbara noticed her Southern drawl and asked, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Mississippi," she replied with a smile, still feeling a bit nervous.

"Are you in the market for a job?" she asked. "Because we sure could use you around here."

"Yes ma'am," Mollie replied with a sigh of relief. "That's what I came here looking for today."

"I'll be right back," Barbara said. "I'll go find someone to cover for a few minutes while the two of us go fill out some paperwork."

Mollie smiled, not believing her incredibly stroke of luck. Today began the first day of her new life.


	2. Chapter 2 Unwelcome Surprises

A/N: Hey everyone – I'm kimgray or better known as co-author with PixieDust529. This is an original story idea of mine that she's helping out on. It's drawn from a little personal experience of being a young divorcee but without the abuse. Please read and review. Tell me you love it…tell me you hate it…just tell me something. I own nothing but Mollie.

The driver pulled up to the expansive mansion inside the gated community. John Cena peered outside the window and looked at his house.

"God, it's good to be home," he said.

He got out and tipped the driver, then pulled his bags from the trunk of the car and started inside. He wondered why his wife didn't come to the airport and pick him up. She usually did, especially since he had just returned home from WWE's two week trek through Europe. He slipped in through the garage and left his bags in a heap in the kitchen.

"Liz!!" he hollered through the house. "I'm home." Still nothing. He thought she might have been picked up by a friend for lunch or something, but he hoped she was home. This had been a particularly grueling trip – matches were changed last minute because of injuries, lost luggage, flight delays, etc. – so he had never been more happy to be home than right then.

He grabbed his cell phone and started to dial her number when he heard the familiar ring tone in the house. "I knew she had to be home," he said to himself as he got up from his chair and walked toward their bedroom.

The door was shut, which was very uncharacteristic. _Maybe she's asleep, _he thought. He opened the door slowly to keep from possibly waking her. That's when he saw it. That's when he saw his wife of less than a year with another man.

He stood in complete shock for a moment. He didn't know how to react, whether to just walk away or to violently yank her off of that man and find out what was going on. He observed them for a few moments, not making a sound, until he finally cleared his throat.

Liz turned around, in horror to see her husband staring at her. "John," she whispered in fear.

John first turned his attention to the man lying in his bed. "Get the hell out of my house…"

The man, obviously scared out of his mind and clueless as to what woman he was screwing, threw on his clothes and ran. Then he turned his attention to Liz.

"How could you?" he asked, fighting back tears.

"John, let me explain…" she ran after him after throwing on a nearby robe.

"Explain?! Explain what? I saw what I need to see," John yelled.

"Don't tell me that you aren't screwing around on me while you're on the road, John! I'm not stupid," she retorted.

That dug him to the bone. While he did have every opportunity to do just that, he had never once cheated on her.

"Elizabeth," he said with an eerily calm tone, "I don't know what those wedding vows meant to you but they were sacred to me. I love you…and this is how you repay me?"

"But John," she tried to say. She knew this time there would be no reunions…no "I'm sorry"…no batting of her eyes and everything would be ok.

"I want you out of my house…" he whispered, still remaining surprisingly calm.

"But…" she tried to say once again.

"Elizabeth…I want you out of my house." With that, he turned from her and walked toward the garage.

He grabbed the first set of keys he could find to the closest car and left the house with screeching tires. His mind raced a hundred miles an hour.

How could she does this to him? Sure, while out on the road he was granted every opportunity to cheat on her but he didn't. Why? Because he loved her. He didn't want his marriage to end up in shambles like his parents. He wanted to be different. He wanted a love that would last forever.

Where would he go? The first person that popped into his mind was Adam "Edge" Copeland. He grabbed his cell and dialed Adam's number.

"Hey Cena," Adam answered.

"Are you home?" John asked.

"Yeah, I just got here. What's up?"

John sighed. "I need a place to crash. Long story…"

Adam replied, "Sure dude. You know you're welcome here anytime."

John said, "Thanks. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes." He then hung up the phone and drove. He wasn't sure what he was going to do next, but he knew one thing. Liz was going to be gone from his life. No way would he go back to a cheating wife.

He pulled up at Adam's home and got out. He didn't even take time to pack a bag, but at the moment he didn't care. He just had to get away as fast as he could.

He walked into Adam's house to find him at his laptop taking care of a stack of bills. Adam looked up and saw John's face. He knew it had to be bad.

"Dude, you look like hell. What happened? I thought you'd be all over Liz right now as long as we were gone," Adam tried to joke.

"I…uh…" John stammered. "She's kept herself occupied while I was gone."

"What?" Adam asked.

"I found her in our bed with another guy…" John said, fighting back tears of hurt and anger.

"Oh my God…you're kidding me!" Adam exclaimed.

"I wish I were," John muttered as he helped himself to a beer in Adam's fridge.

Adam, who was infamous for his affair with Amy "Lita" Dumas and the aftermath of it with Matt Hardy, stayed silent. He knew the temptations of the road, but he hadn't dealt with coming home and seeing infidelity right before his eyes.

"You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you want," he offered John.

"I know and I appreciate that. I'll have to talk to her tomorrow. I just couldn't tonight – without the possibility of being carted off to jail for murder," John half-smiled. Adam knew it was just the pain talking.

John finished his beer in silence and threw away the bottle. He turned to Adam, "I've got such a headache right now. Mind if I go crash in a guest room for a while."

"Sure…what do you want me to do if she calls or comes by?" Adam asked.

"I don't know… tell her I'll talk to her tomorrow. Just not today…" John sighed as he walked toward Adam's spare bedroom. He walked into the sparsely furnished room and sat down on the bed. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his temples, hoping that the throbbing pain would subside. He took off his shoes and cap and lay down on top of the covers. Maybe a dark room with no sound or light would help.

John finally drifted off for a short nap but was awaken by the vibrating cell phone in his pocket. He knew she'd call sooner or later.

He looked at the number and immediately hit ignore. _Not today, _he thought.

He lay in bed a little while longer looking at the ceiling. His mind wandered through memories of all the years he and Liz had been together – all the good times, the bad, the fights, the love. How could she have thrown it all away?

He got up and walked back into the living room. Adam was on the phone with who sounded to be Liz.

"Liz," Adam tried to say. "Liz! I don't think you two need to talk or see each other right now." It appeared that he was getting an ear full. "But…"

"Let me talk to her," John whispered. Adam reluctantly handed the phone to him. "Liz," he started.

"John…baby…please come back home and talk to me," she pleaded.

"I'm coming to pack my suitcase. That's all…" he told her.

"You just got home," she said. "Where are you going now?"

"It's none of your damn business," he flatly replied. "I'm coming to get my stuff and that's all." He hung up the phone.

"What are you going to do?" Adam asked.

"I'm gonna go crash at my Dad's for a few days," John replied. "I have to meet Vince in Stamford anyway in a couple of days so it's fine."

"Let me know if you need anything," Adam said.

"I appreciate it," John replied with a handshake and a hug. With that, he got back into his car and drove home.

He pulled in and took a deep breath before walking in the door. He walked right past Liz in the kitchen and headed to their room. The thought of walking back into their bedroom after what he had just seen made him physically ill. He persevered and pulled out a smaller suitcase from the closet. He proceeded to fill it with just the bare essentials. He didn't even notice Liz had followed him in and was leaning on the door frame.

"Can you please talk to me?" she whimpered. John turned to her and could see her tear-stained face.

He replied, fighting back tears of his own, "I don't think there's anything to discuss."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry is not going to cut it this time. You'll hear from my attorney, and I want you out of this house in two weeks," he ordered her. He walked right past her once again and got back into the car. He headed for the airport to get the first flight back to West Newbury.


	3. Chapter 3 A Chance Meeting

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews I've gotten so far. Please keep reading and reviewing. Doing this on my own is a whole other ballgame than just writing with Tabitha, so please be kind! Haha! Remember I own nothing except Mollie.

Mollie had been at her job with the WWE for a few days and loved every second of it. Even though it was just a receptionist/secretary job, she hoped that maybe it was a place where she could move up.

She was also fortunate enough to find a furnished apartment very close to the WWE headquarters. Work was definitely a distraction from the massive chaos that was going on in her life. She had befriended several of the WWE employees including a girl named Angela, who was a runner for the creative team. She, like Mollie, was starting out at an entry-level job and hoped to move up into the company and possibly score a spot on the creative team herself one day.

She had also had the brief chance to meet with Stephanie McMahon-Levesque and the man himself, Mr. Vince McMahon. Mollie was so nervous, but she felt so at east around them. Even though Stephanie was a shrewd business woman that ruled with an iron fist, she had a "big sister" feel to her. Vince also was much more down to earth than he ever appeared on camera. She hoped that she'd get to see more of the both of them during her time there.

She also finally broke down and talked to Ben since she left. That conversation did not turn out well at all.

_Flashback_

_Mollie arrived back at her motel room and secured the door. She didn't plan on eating out tonight since she had put some sandwich meat into the room's small refrigerator. But, she did want to take a hot bath and relax for the rest of the evening._

_Her phone rang just as she started to undress for the bath. It was Ben. _

_She thought, I better get this over with. She answered, "Hello?"_

"_MOLLIE!" he yelled. "Where the hell are you?"_

"_Ben, did you receive the papers?" she asked calmly._

"_I'm not signing them," he replied._

"_Ben, be rational about this…" she started to say._

"_Rational? Me? You're the one that ran off!" he yelled._

"_You gave me no choice. I will not be abused."_

_Then Ben decided to turn on the water works. "Mollie baby…I love you. Please come home so we can talk about this. We'll do whatever you want. We'll go to counseling. It doesn't matter. Just please come home."_

"_You're not going to manipulate me again Benjamin," she boldly declared. "If you won't sign them I'll press through with the divorce without you."_

"_You can't do that!"_

"_Watch me…"_

"_Alright…if you want to be a bitch about it…fine. But you better hope and pray to God I never find you," he warned and hung up the phone._

Ben's threat still rang in Mollie's ears. She thought about calling the police and reporting it but she thought it might be better not to stir the pot anymore than it was. She also didn't want to tell her parents about it because they were worried enough about her as it was. She did, however, try to stay in constant contact with them. She did plan to change her cell number and carrier within the next few days so Ben would stop calling her.

She arrived at WWE Headquarters fifteen minutes early for work. She got clocked in and got right to work. She looked over the schedule for the day and saw that John Cena would be coming in at 9 am to meet with Mr. McMahon.

_The _John Cena. Mollie had been a wrestling fan all of her life, but she hadn't had the opportunity to watch it much in the past few years. She had heard the name and knew that he was pretty much the biggest star in the company at the moment. She knew she'd now have time to actually watch Monday Night Raw and see him in action.

As Mollie began filing and working on her daily itinerary, the small diamond ring she still wore on her left hand caught the light and shimmered. She debated on taking it to a pawn shop and selling it but she just hadn't found the time. She'd keep it a little while longer and sell it when she ran low of money. Her mind drifted back to when Ben gave her the ring. They were so happy…so in love. Where did everything go wrong?

The ringing of her desk phone snapped her back into reality. About an hour later, she noticed a rather large gentleman come in the front door. He wore jeans, tennis shoes, a t-shirt, and a baseball cap pulled down low. He walked up to the front desk to sign in. He noticed a new face at the front desk. The redhead met him with a warm smile.

"Hi Mr. Cena," the redhead greeted him. The name plate at her desk read "Mollie Garrison."

"Hi," he replied. That was about all he could muster. He flew in on the first flight from Boston. He had been staying with his dad and stepmother since his entire world came crashing down. While he had always had his doubts about Liz, John Sr. – or Fabo as he was called – didn't have a lot to say. He was just grateful John had listened to his advice before they married and got Liz to sign a prenup. He just tried to keep John's mind off of his troubles.

In the few days he had been gone, John also got his divorce proceedings started. He had friends go by the house to see if Liz was leaving, and thankfully she had heeded his warning. She was moving her stuff out of the home. She was still calling him constantly, all hours of the night. But John decided to let his legal representation do all of the talking for him.

Mollie noticed John looked like he hadn't slept much at all. But, she just contributed it to WWE's extreme work schedule as well as the countless other things Vince had him doing.

She smiled again, "Mr. McMahon should be ready for you this morning. Just go right on up."

He managed a smile and replied, "Thank you." It was nice to see a friendly face outside of family.

John headed upstairs to Vince's office where he was waiting on him. Even though Vince was the boss, he and John also shared a friendship and even he could see that something wasn't quite right with his biggest Superstar.

"Come in John," Vince greeted him with a pat on the back.

"Good morning Vince," John said, putting up a brave front. He knew that he needed Vince to know about what was going on – in case anything leaked to the media or if he needed time away to deal with the situation.

"Ok, start talking…" Vince said. "Something is wrong and you're not 100% here with me right now. So…start talking."

"Liz and I are getting a divorce," John blurted out.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Vince replied.

"I won't go into details or anything, but I know that you needed to know in case anything gets out in the media. She's been cheating on me."

Vince didn't want to get involved with the personal problems of any of his Superstars, but he agreed with John. He didn't want the name of WWE dragged into any messy proceedings that might occur.

"Do you need any time away?" Vince asked, his mind scrambling as to how he could make this happen.

"No…" John replied. "Everything's being taken care of."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir," John replied. "I need to keep busy and keep my mind off of this."

"That I can do," Vince answered with a wicked grin.

Their meeting lasted another 2 hours. John was booked to be on the next plane back to Tampa. He had to make sure that his soon-to-be ex-wife hadn't trashed or even set a match to his house. He left and headed toward the parking garage where he had left his rental. He took a look back at the front desk and noticed the nice redhead wasn't at her desk. He thought she might be gone to lunch.

He made it to the parking garage and unlocked his rental. He almost got in the car to leave when he heard a very frustrated groan coming from a few spots down.

"Son of a…" the voice yelled. It was a woman who got out of the car and raised the hood. John had a few moments to spare, so he thought he'd do something nice and help her out. Much to his surprise, it was the nice redhead from the front desk.

"What's it doing?" John asked her with a smile. The girl, startled, turned around and was immediately embarrassed.

"It won't start, and I don't know the first thing about cars," Mollie laughed.

"Hop in it," John told her. "Try to crank it."

Mollie did as told and got in the car. When she tried to start it, John could tell right away that it was either the starter or the alternator.

"I think I know what the problem is," John smiled. "I'd stay here and fix it for you but I've got a plane to catch."

"Oh no…I appreciate that. I'll just call a mechanic," Mollie replied.

"I'm guessing your husband isn't exactly Mr. Fix-It?" John asked, noticing her wedding and engagement ring.

"Not hardly," Mollie laughed. John noticed that she had a great smile and infectious laugh, even when being thrown into a stressful situation.

"I know a guy," John told her. "Let me give him a call."

"Oh no…I'll take care of it."

"I insist," John said. "You're the first friendly face I've seen in a few days, so it's the least I could do."

"Well thank you," Mollie finally relented.

John pulled out his cell phone and made a call for Mollie. He hung up the phone and turned to her. "It's all set. I've got someone who owes me a favor anyway. He's going to tow your car to his shop and get you fixed up."

Mollie was overwhelmed at his generosity. "Thank you so much Mr. Cena."

"Call me John," he told her. "Let me know if my guy doesn't do you right." Then he looked at his watch. "I've gotta run."

"Thank you again," Mollie smiled.

John gave her a dimpled smile and nod, got in his rental, and left. Mollie was so thankful for his kindness. He's a well-known celebrity. He didn't have to do something like that for the front desk girl at WWE. But, she was very grateful that he did.


	4. Chapter 4 Three Months Later

A/N: Here's another collaboration between myself & Tabs. Twenty reviews in 3 chapters! I'm touched! Thank you so much. Please, please continue to read AND review it. I appreciate feedback of all kinds. Remember that I own nothing but Mollie. There will probably be a few new characters show up later on in the story. Thanks again!

_Three months later_

Mollie came in to work, just as she had every day for the past three months. She loved her job, and that was the first time she had been able to say that in a long time. Even though, yes, it was just secretarial or receptionist work she did like the schedule, the people she worked with, and the paycheck and benefits didn't hurt either.

She sat down at her desk and checked her email. One particular email caught her eye – a new position opening up. It was for a talent relations coordinator, otherwise known as a personal assistant. She read through the qualifications – travel on the road with the superstars, scheduling their events and signings, coordinating photo shoots, etc.

"What the heck…" she said to herself. "I'll apply." She filled out the application and prepared her resume and emailed it upstairs to the HR department. "What do I have to lose?"

It took nearly the whole afternoon before she heard anything regarding the position. It was an off chance she'd even be asked for consideration, but her boss, the very same lady that found her answering phones on the day of her interview called her up to her office.

"Tomorrow we'll start going over your new procedures and getting your picture taken for different clearance badges," Barbara smiled.

"Thank you," Mollie could have been happier.

As she drove home, her grin proved how elated she was. But that grin soon changed when she looked through her mail. She had found that she was being summonsed to divorce court in three months time.

"Oh no…" Mollie said to herself as she plopped down on her couch. She didn't want to face Ben, but she knew she'd have no other choice. She decided that she would email her lawyer to let him know that she received the paperwork. Then, it dawned on her. How in the world would she be able to take off of work with this new job? She hadn't told anyone about her situation…about why a Mississippi girl ended up in Connecticut. She didn't want to blow the best thing that had happened to her in a long time. She called the only person she could…her mother.

"Hey baby girl," her mother answered the phone.

"Hey…" Mollie said.

"What's wrong?"

"I've gotta come home for court. I just got a notice from the lawyer today," Mollie informed her.

"The sooner this is over the sooner you can get on with your life," her mother said.

"I know that Momma, but I'm afraid to face him."

"He's not going to do anything to you if the SOB knows what's good for him. Plus, we'll be there. We want to see you," her mother said, the sadness in her voice.

"I miss you and Daddy too." Mollie sighed. "Look, Momma, I just don't know what to do. I need help."

"Alright, honey, what's the matter?" Her mother asked.

"Well, you know I found a job and I just got this huge promotion today and…" Mollie started.

"Oh sweetheart, a promotion, so soon? That's great!" Her mother seemed thrilled for her daughter.

"Thanks Momma, but they don't know about Ben or why in the world a girl from Mississippi is doing all the way out in Connecticut. I haven't talked to any one. How in the world am I supposed to handle all this and work too? I can't take time off." Mollie started to cry.

"Well, it's something they're going to have to know. You don't have to go into details with them, but I'm sure someone there will understand," her mother said. "Now, don't cry."

Mollie dried her tears and replied, "Yes ma'am. I'll talk to Barbara, my boss. She'll know what to do."

"That's my girl."

"I'll let you go Momma. I'm going to fix myself some supper, take a bath, and go to bed. I'll let you know what happens."

"Alright...I love you," her mother said.

"I love you, too. Goodnight!"

Mollie hung up the phone and thought for a moment. She thought it would be best to call Barbara instead of email her, so she looked her phone number up online and gave her a call.

"Hello?" Barbara answered.

"Miss Barbara, this is Mollie. I'm so sorry to call you at home...." Mollie started.

"It's alright dear, is everything alright?" Barbara replied.

"Do you have a moment?" Mollie asked.

"Sure..." she replied.

"This is going to be hard for me to say, so I'm just going to have to come right out with it. I've never told anyone at work why I came all the way to Connecticut from Mississippi," Mollie said and then took a deep breath. "I'm in the middle of a divorce right now. My husband was physically abusive with me, so I ran. I ran from Mississippi as fast as I could. I was scared for my life."

Barbara sat in stunned silence as she listened. No one could have guessed that their precious lifesaver Mollie came from such a troubled past.

"I'm so sorry," Barbara apologized.

"That's not all. As appreciative as I am of this new position, I don't know if I'm going to be able to take it now."

Barbara asked, "Why?"

"I must report home to Mississippi in three months for a hearing. It will be the first time I've seen my husband in three months, and I'm afraid."

"Honey, I'm sure that if Mr. McMahon knew of your situation he'd understand. He'd probably even do whatever he could to help...get you a lawyer...whatever!" Barbara said.

"No, no, that's alright. I have an attorney. I just..." Mollie sighed. "As much as I want the job, I can't take it." 'It seems Ben's found a way to ruin my life again without even knowing it.'

Barbara felt for the poor young woman. She sighed on her end. Then it struck her, she quickly looked at her work calendar that she always carried with him. "Mollie, I believe we have a solution."

"Miss Barbara, really..."

"No, now you listen." Barbara said. "It just so happens that in three months, the Raw roster has two house shows and Monday Night Raw from Memphis, TN. That's close to where you're from, right? I can speak with Mr. McMahon about getting your a personal detail for the time you're there. He'll understand after I briefly and mildly explain your situation to him."

Mollie thought for a minute and responded, "Thank you…"

Barbara smiled on her end. She could hear the relief in Mollie's voice. "Now, cheer up. We'll get this fixed. I don't want to lose you."

"Thank you," Mollie answered. "I don't know what to say."

Barbara added, "Get a good night's sleep, and I'll see you in the morning."

"I will. Bye…"

Mollie hung up the phone and sighed. It still wasn't going to be easy, but she did feel a little better before going home. She decided to call her lawyer in the morning and get everything set up.

_Meanwhile_

John Cena returned to his now-empty home after another long stint on the road. It had been three months since he came home to find Liz in bed with another man. It was very hard to get that image out of his head. She had been calling and calling him, wanting to talk, but he just couldn't bring himself to talk to her.

Looking through his mail he tossed the junk in the garbage and left the bills for the morning. _Too tired to care, _he thought. He left his bags in the entry way when he had first entered the house and now brushed past them as he walked down the hall to his room, making a mental note to grab them later.

He flopped on the sheet-less bed and barely closed his eyes as he felt a sickening feeling wash over himself. He still couldn't bring himself to stay in that bed. Sighing, he sat up and headed across the hall to the guest room.

He had been sleeping there for the last three months. _It's time to forget about it or sell this place, _he thought as he started to formally doze off in the guest bed.

He woke up a few hours later to the harsh sound of someone or something pounding at the window.

"What the hell?" he said to himself as he stirred.

The pounding became more and more incessant. More and more unbearable. He finally woke up and looked outside his window to see Liz looking inside.

John didn't say a word. He immediately ran to the kitchen where sat the control panel for the outside sprinkler system. He flipped the switch to turn on the system, and waited for the inevitable scream.

Liz, still outside, screamed, "JOHN!"

He laughed as he let her fume for a few more minutes before he opened the door to find her out on the doorstep, soaking wet.

"Yeah…real mature," she spewed.

"What are you doing here?" he shot back.

"No, the real question should be what the hell do you think you're doing?" she yelled as she pulled the divorce papers from her bag and threw them on the table.

John didn't say a word. He just met her cold eyes with a stare that went straight to her soul.

She asked again, "Why?"

"Isn't it obvious, Elizabeth? I come home and find you in bed with someone else. What did you expect me to do?" he asked.

"At least talk to me…give us a chance to work this out."

"What if I did? What if I did exactly what you wanted…forgive you and let you come running back…and then find you in the same position once again? No…Once a cheater always a cheater. Sign the damn papers and get the hell out of my house."

With a death glare that would put most military leaders to shame, Elizabeth Huberdaeu Cena signed on the dotted line forever releasing herself from the name Cena and all that was entitled to it. That is of course whatever had been decided in their prenuptial agreement.

John took back the papers and placed them in the envelope to be sent to his attorneys. "I'll be sure your attorney gets a copy to you." He snidely stated. "Take care." He smirked with no meaning behind his words whatsoever.

Liz turned on her heel, her blood boiling and marched back to her car, still dripping wet. She peeled out of the driveway, never looking back.


	5. Chapter 5 First Night on the Job

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. Tabitha (SoCalStar529) and I really appreciate it. It's turned into another team story for us. We own nothing except Mollie and the new OC Brooklyn.

_One Month Later_

Mollie stepped out of her rental car and looked at the arena. She was in Toledo, OH. Today was the first day of her new position with the WWE – talent relations coordinator, and it would have to be on a Monday night. She took a deep breath and smiled. Then she looked at her watch. She was expected in a staff meeting in 30 minutes as well as the talent meeting in an hour. Stephanie was going to introduce her to the talent during that meeting and then she was responsible for meeting with everyone individually on her own.

She grabbed her briefcase and walked into the arena. She asked a nearby backstage hand where Stephanie's office was, so he quickly got on his walkie-talkie and pointed her in the right direction. Mollie walked down a hall and found Stephanie's makeshift office.

She quietly knocked on the door and heard a, "Come in," from the other side. Mollie walked in and found Stephanie finishing up a phone call.

"Mollie," Stephanie greeted her with a handshake. "It's great to see you again."

"Yes ma'am. How are you doing?" she asked.

Stephanie was pregnant with her third child with Paul "Triple H" Levesque, or "Hunter" as he was known as. "I'm doing great. Thank you for asking. Now, let's see…" she said as she flipped through some papers on her desk. She handed Mollie a stack of scripts. "First order of business, you'll need to get these to everyone for tonight. It's their scripts, so they'll be expecting them. You can do that after the talent meeting. I know we're throwing you to the wolves during a Raw broadcast, but we had no choice."

"I totally understand, Ms. Levesque," Mollie answered.

"Now…none of that. I'm Stephanie."

"Stephanie," Mollie smiled.

"Now…you need to go down the hall to catering where we're having the staff meeting. Then, just hang out there and then we'll go to the talent meeting. I'll see you in a little bit," Stephanie said.

"Yes ma'am," Mollie smiled, her heart racing 100 miles per hour. She left Stephanie's office, scripts in hand, and made her way to catering. She passed a few Superstars on her way, none knowing who she was. She passed Gail Kim and one of the Bellas – Mollie never could tell them apart. A little closer to catering, she passed Ted DiBiase and R-Truth who were apparently working out their segment for that night's show. Since they were both from Mississippi, Mollie definitely wanted the chance to talk to Ted.

Passing on the opportunity for the moment, Mollie continued on her way towards catering, her stack of papers in her brief case. She grabbed a quick cup of coffee and attempted to find her way to where the staff meeting was being held. She found an empty seat and introduced herself to those around her. She recognized a few of the faces from seeing them walk past her front desk back at WWE Global in Stamford, but the majority of those in the meeting were new.

Stephanie walked in with Vince himself, and the meeting was underway. Stephanie first introduced Mollie to the rest of the people attending and moved right along. They touched on the run down for the day and Mollie took extensive notes for herself when it came to where the talent was supposed to be and what they were to be doing.

As the staff meeting ticked away, Mollie became nervous about being the new kid on the block. She felt overwhelmed and the butterflies grew to eagles in her stomach. The anticipation alone of meeting the talent was wreaking havoc on her nerves.

After the staff meeting, Stephanie looked over Mollie's notes to be sure she had herself straightened out as the two headed for the talent meeting.

"You ready for this?" Stephanie asked seriously.

"Yes m'am." Mollie replied a nod. Although she really wasn't confident in her words. 'Look past the fear.' She silently coached herself. 'Look past the fear like you did with Ben.'

"Good. Let's go." Stephanie said as the two of them stepped into the large conference room that held the talent that was going to be used for that night's show.

Mollie looked at the eyes looking back at her. There were too many to count.

When everyone finished filing into the room, Vince got started. Mollie continued to study the faces in the crowd as Vince went over that night's show. Then Stephanie stepped forward to begin her part.

"Everyone, I'd like for you to meet Mollie Garrison. She's the new talent relations coordinator for Raw," Stephanie introduced her with a smile.

Mollie then stepped forward and tried not to sound terrified. "Hello everybody. I'm looking forward to meeting each of you and working with you."

John Cena had slipped into the meeting largely unnoticed and blended into the back row. He normally sat up front to soak in everything for that night's show, but he just wasn't up to it. These past few months had taken a lot out of him. While he tried not to let his work slip in the ring, people were starting to notice a difference.

He noticed the petite redhead standing with Stephanie as she introduced herself. She looked so familiar to him, but he was having trouble placing her. Then, he remembered Stamford. He smiled at the memory of seeing her trying to work on her car.

Stephanie added before the end of the meeting, "Everyone needs to meet with Mollie on their own within the next two weeks. Have a great show tonight and stay safe."

The meeting dispersed, but John stayed in his seat for a few moments.

"John…JOHN!" Randy Orton finally got Cena's attention.

"What?" John snapped back into reality.

"Meeting's over man." Randy laughed with a shake of his head.

"Right." John nodded and stood.

"You alright?" Randy asked. He was one of John's few close, personal friends at work. He knew his buddy's situation.

"I'm fine. Just tired," John replied.

"I'm not trying to butt in or anything, but how's...?" Randy trailed off. John knew what he meant.

"She finally signed the papers but now she's got a lawyer going through the prenup trying to find a loophole. She's out of luck because there isn't one," he answered.

"I see..." Randy said. "I've gotta find Adam so we can go over tonight. Wanna go out after the show and get a beer?"

"Nah, I appreciate it though," John replied.

Mollie left the meeting and began the task of finding everyone to pass out their scripts. The first place she hit was the Diva's locker room where she first met the Diva's Champion Brooklyn. Brooklyn, a tall leggy blond who looked as if she had just stepped off the beaches of California.

She met Mollie with a warm smile. "Hi...Mollie, right?

"Yes ma'am," Mollie replied. "And you are Brooklyn. Nice to meet you!"

"Same here." Brooklyn smiled. "I know how hard it is to be the new kid on the block, so if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you. It's a little uneasy at the moment but I'm sure it'll pass." Mollie smiled. "I have your script for you. Have a safe night."

"You do the same." Brooklyn winked and the two women parted ways.

Mollie continued passing out scripts and introducing herself to the Raw Superstars and Divas. She saw Ted and Randy coming out of their locker room.

"Hi," she greeted them. "I'm Mollie."

Randy replied, "Hi Mollie. I'm Randy Orton and this is Ted DiBiase."

Ted added, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Here's your scripts for tonight," Mollie said as she handed theirs to them. Ted caught wind of a Southern accent.

"Where are you from, Mollie?" he asked.

"Mississippi...just like you!" she replied.

"Where?"

"Just north of Tupelo. Booneville to be exact," she answered.

"That's cool," Ted said.

"Well, let me get going. Holler at me in the next couple days to set up the required meeting," Mollie said.

"We'll do that," Randy replied with a smile.

Mollie once again continued on her way, scanning her checklist of who'd she still needed to give scripts to, but found herself coming to a dead stop the moment she literally bumped into a big broad chest. The only she she remebered seeing before her rear hit the ground was a flash of orange.

"Crap." A man's voice said. "Are you alright?" He extended a hand to her.

Mollie looked up and saw that it was John Cena that'd she'd run into. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I...I wasn't watching where I was going." John helped Mollie up from the floor and gathered up her scripts.

Mollie straightened her clothes and then handed John a script. "I was coming to find you anyway. Here you go."

John nodded and took the script. "Thanks…"

"Oh, and thank you so much for your suggestion about the mechanic," Mollie said.

"I knew you looked familiar," John laughed. "What was wrong with the car?"

"I needed a new alternator, but Lord knows I would have never known that. Plus I had no clue who to take it to. My dad always did my mechanic work for me," Mollie replied with a laugh.

"Well, I was glad to help. You are moving up in the world to go from the front desk to this."

Mollie nodded in agreement, "I'm just incredibly blessed."

He chuckled a little, "Forgive but, I'm sorry, you're name again?"

"Oh, yeah, uh Mollie," She smiled. _Of course he wouldn't remember you._ She mentally rolled her eyes.

"Mollie. That's right. I remember now," John smirked with a nod. "Thanks for the script."

"Yeah. No problem. Uh, I guess when you have the time, shoot me an email, text or give me a ring in the next couple weeks to set up that one on one." Mollie smiled. "I..gotta go finish passing these things out."

"I'll do that," John smiled. With that, Mollie walked on to finish her rounds.

John looked at the script and thought to himself, _That's twice she's made me smile when I needed it._


	6. Chapter 6 Heart to Hearts

A/N: Thanks once again everyone for the reviews. They truly mean the world to me. Remember, we own nothing but Mollie and Brooklyn.

Mollie looked at her clock. It was 15 minutes till show time. She didn't have anything pressing to do, so she headed to catering to finally grab something for dinner. Her nerves had finally settled a bit from the day, so she sat down and started reviewing her notes.

She also couldn't help but replay her encounter with John Cena. She found it so odd to have not one, but two odd chance meetings with him. He was just as nice as he could be, but somehow Mollie sensed a sadness about him. Of course, she could be totally wrong. He probably was either married or had a girlfriend, had plenty of money, and was the most successful star in the WWE with an extremely busy schedule. It could be just exhaustion.

Just as she finally had a chance to grab a sandwich, she felt someone come up and tap her on the shoulder. It was Brooklyn, the WWE Diva's Champion.

"Hey!" Brooklyn smiled.

"Hi Brooklyn." Mollie smiled back.

"Did you have any plans for the show?" Brooklyn asked.

"I was just going to have some dinner and find a monitor somewhere." Mollie answered honestly.

"Oh, well we can't have that." The blonde smiled. "I'm only needed tonight for a few small things. Why don't you join me in my locker room?"

"Thank you sweetie," Mollie smiled. The two girls made their way to Brooklyn's locker room and plopped down on the couch. Thankfully Brooklyn had already been to hair, makeup, and wardrobe and gotten ready for her backstage vignette tonight.

"I've got to ask. Where are you from?" Brooklyn asked with a smile.

"I know…the accent. I'm from Mississippi," Mollie answered.

"I wondered. You and Teddy ought to get along real well."

"So, what's your story?" Brooklyn asked. "How in the world does a Mississippi girl land a job with WWE?"

_That's a loaded question, _Mollie thought.

"Well to be honest, I needed a strong change. I ended up in Stamford and found the receptionist job by accident. The old girl had quit and walked out of the building without notice, I was there for an interview in another department and just took hold of the situation. I have no idea what even compelled me to do so in the first place." Mollie laughed. "But it obviously paid off and here I am, just three months after starting."

Brooklyn could tell there was more to the story but didn't want to pry. They were just getting to know one another and it was none of her business to begin with. If Mollie wanted to tell her more, Brooklyn suspected she would in due time. "Well, let me be the first to say that you're officially welcomed here. Sure it's probably been said, but you seem like a good woman who can keep this place in check. Our last relations coordinator was a little too intense. And at that she couldn't handle the pressure."

"Well great, I hope I can." Mollie laughed. _Good Lord, what have I gotten myself into, _she thought.

"Don't worry; I think you'll do just fine. I have a pretty good sense of people." Brooklyn smiled.

"I appreciate that," Mollie replied.

The two girls chatted for the next thirty minutes, like they had known each other for years. Then a backstage staffer came knocking, telling Brooklyn it was time for her backstage spot.

"I've gotta go," Brooklyn said as she grabbed her Diva's Championship. "I'll see you later."

"Sure thing," Mollie replied, "and thanks. I needed the girl talk."

"No problem," Brooklyn winked and was out the door.

Mollie turned her attention to the monitor and watched as Brooklyn's spot started with the Bella twins and Maryse. Brooklyn was quite possibly one of the sweetest people she had ever met, and she knew right then she'd be able to call her a friend.

_Meanwhile_

John resisted the urge to throw his Blackberry across the room and watch it smash against the wall. He had just finished listening to a profanity-laced tirade from Liz. First of all, she knew better than to call him on show days. And second, about her missing watch? It wasn't like she didn't have five others she could wear.

Then again, it was his fault for answering. He should have just let it go to voicemail. _Why did I even bother?_ He asked himself. These types of things were what attorneys were for. Hell, he was paying his enough.

Letting out a large sigh, he tossed his phone into his gym bag and threw himself onto the couch.

"Why me?" He asked running his hands over his face.

A knock sounded at his door and he saw his buddy Randy walk in, fresh from the ring.

"What's up man?" Randy asked.

"You don't even want to know," John replied.

Randy sighed. "What has she done now?"

"She calls me and leaves this screeching voice mail about her damn watch," John explained.

Randy just shook his head. "You're going to have to shake it off. You've got the main event and then we've got the dark march."

"I know," John huffed as he put his phone away. "And I need to get ready for it."

John left to go change and get ready for his match, so Randy showered and changed. He sat back down on the couch and called his wife Samantha while he had a moment.

"Hey baby," she answered.

"Hi Sam," Randy said. "How are my girls?"

"Good! Little Bit is in bed right now. Is something wrong?"

"I'm just a little worried about John," he said.

Sam replied, "How's he doing?"

"He's pretty much emotionally spent. You can tell. He's trying not to let it show, but she's putting him through the ringer," Randy explained.

"Hmm..." Sam hummed. "You know maybe he could use a night out? Like, and this going to sound completely girlish, but...take him to dinner? Bring him some pizza and beer. Get him to open up, honey. Obviously he's going to be mum at work, but maybe in a one on one setting he might open up to you. He's hurt, he's confused, and he's probably wondering what he did wrong. He's lost trust in people. Even though it was one woman, it doesn't help the fact that she was his wife. Betrayal is a hard thing to get away from."

"Since when did you become Dr. Phil?" Randy laughed. Then he sighed. "You're right baby. He knows he can trust me."

"Let me know if I can do anything," Sam said just as she heard a cry from Alanna's room.

"Babe…" she started to say.

Randy stopped her. "I heard it. Go… I'll talk to you later."

"Bye…I love you," she said.

"I love you, too." With that, Randy hung up the phone. He knew exactly what he had to do.

Mollie and Brooklyn watched the end of Raw back in the locker room and continued to chat like two old friends. They even made plans to go out next weekend during the house show swing. But, Mollie was given a ton of paperwork to do so she bid Brooklyn farewell and went back to the hotel.

She arrived back at the hotel and made her way to the lobby. She really didn't want to spend her entire evening in her room, so she decided to get a table at the hotel restaurant and do her paperwork there.

John and Randy finished their dark match and headed to the locker room. Randy thought it was time for him to tread off into the pool that was John's messy divorce.

"How about beer and some pizza tonight?" Randy asked.

John really wasn't in the mood. He wanted to try and get some much needed sleep, but he caved. "Ok…you're buying?"

"Sure. Why not?" Randy laughed.

They each showered, changed, and headed back to the hotel. Randy called ahead and ordered room service that should be waiting on them when they got there. It indeed arrived just in time.

John opened up a box and grabbed a couple of slices. He was uncharacteristically hungry tonight, so he dove right in. Randy seized the moment.

"So, start talking…" Randy said.

"Ha, where do I start?" John sadly chuckled.

"Uh, the beginning would be nice." Randy smirked.

"You know, we've got a pretty sweet life," John started. "We've got the money, the fame, the women throwing themselves at us after shows..."

Randy nodded as he remembered his ways before Samantha, "Yeah, you're right."

"But, all I have ever wanted was to have a wife, children one day, you know?"

Randy nodded once again, "Yeah, I know."

John continued, "But to have your wife screwing another man in your own bed...it's...it's almost more than a man can take."

Randy knew they were over and done with, but he really didn't know the exact reason why. At first, when it happened, John had explained that he found out Liz was cheating on him, but never detailed how. "Oh man, John... I..."

"No need to say it. I'm sorry too. But what sucks the life out of me is that I thought we were past all that. We've been through it up and down, sideways, in and out over the last twelve years. We've both been guilty of the same crime. But when I made the choice to really want to settle down with her, I put all that bullshit aside. Started from scratch and I thought she did too. I came home, walked into **MY** bedroom and saw them there. In our bed." John looked broken, completely damaged and he was finally lifting the burden of his marriage.

"I know how I used to be," Randy replied. "I used to screw around and not even give it a second thought. But that all changed when I met Sam. I knew right then and there she was it."

"And to make matters even worse, she can't just let it go. She obviously wasn't happy with me, so she went looking for it elsewhere. I'm tired of taking her back."

"But, you haven't taken her back this time. It's done. She's signed the papers, you've signed the papers and now your attorneys have them to deal with. Once they're filed and the judge signs off on them, you're set free. The pre-nup is solid, I'm sure. So, let her take her things while you're on the road and it be that." Randy sighed.

John sipped his beer. "I've changed the locks already."

"So, give your attorney a key so he or she can babysit her while she takes her shit." Randy laughed a little, but John wasn't in the mood to laugh. "Look, she broke a vow that is worth something, and you took your marriage seriously, obviously, she didn't. But you can't keep beating yourself up over it man. She knew what she was getting into when you signed up for this. She's been with you through it all. Hell, the two of you lived in a garage for a couple years when you left home. She's been around. She knows what this life is like. You can't beat yourself up over it."

"I know, but..." John tried to say.

At that moment, Randy heard his phone ring. "That's Sam's ringtone. It must be something about Alanna."

John nodded as Randy took his phone call. John then grabbed a notepad and pen from the hotel desk, scratched out a note "Going downstairs," and walked out of the room. He knew Randy meant well, but he had to go clear his head before trying to get some sleep. He thought a quiet, deserted hotel bar might do the trick.

He walked in to the bar and gave a nod to the bartender. The bartender pulled out a fresh bottle and uncapped it for him. John sat down and rubbed his hand over his face. He appreciated Randy's attempt at a therapeutic talk but it did nothing but dredge up old hostilities. He couldn't believe his marriage had gone down in flames, even though he swore he'd never let that happen. He didn't want to be like his parents.

Out of the corner of his eye, John saw a redhead sitting at a table. She had paperwork strew all around her, deep in thought with glasses on the bridge of her nose. It was Mollie, the new talent relations coordinator.

He got up, beer in hand, and walked over to her table.

"Late night?" John asked Mollie as he stood in front of her table. She was rapidly typing away, inputting calendar items into her Outlook.

She looked up and smiled. "John....hi....yeah, just finishing up some stuff. I didn't leave empty handed." She nodded to the scattered papers.

John gave a quick single, understanding nod. The silence between them became awkward. To him, he had all the time in the world at the moment. He didn't want to go back up to his room and hear Randy on the phone with his family, he didn't want to be alone either and drink himself into stupidity. He was usually so strong and tough, but this divorce and whole 'Liz mess' had him weak and vulnerable. "So, do you think that maybe we could schedule that one on one meeting for right now? I mean, if you're not too busy."

Mollie looked around the table. She could spare a few minutes away from her computer. She was starting to feel her eyes cross anyway. She smiled and nodded at him, clearing a spot next to her. "Have a seat." She said as she gathered a pen and a notepad.

Mollie pushed her glasses up off the bridge of her nose once again and said, "Ok, first I need all of your contact information." John gave her all of that information. She added, "Here's my contact info - cell phone, email, everything - in case you need to get in contact with me." John took that information and put it in his pocket. Then Mollie asked, "Have there been any issues with work?"

"No, everything's great," he answered.

"Well, if anything ever comes up I was told that you'd need to come to me first and then I could take it to Stephanie or Vince. I know you and Vince have a great relationship, but its part of the job description," Mollie explained.

"I'll remember that," he said with a smile.

"I'll be responsible for coordinating your signings, appearances, basically your entire life," Mollie laughed. "As soon as I'm given your schedule for the week, I'll contact you and relay that information.

"Sounds great to me," John replied. Mollie looked at him, seeing another wave of sadness in his eyes.

"John, forgive me for being so forward, but, is everything alright?" Mollie asked.

_Boy she's perceptive... _he thought. "I'm just tired here lately. Got a lot going on."

"I'm sorry for prying. Forgive me. But if you ever need to talk, give me a call," she said with a smile.

John gave her a genuine smile and replied, "Thank you. Is that all you need from me?"

"Yes sir," she answered.

"I'll see you around then."

"Sure," Mollie said and walked John walk up to the front to pay for his beer and then walk out of the bar.

_He just seems so sad, _she thought to herself. _Not that I haven't been there before._

After gathering her things, Mollie headed up to her room. Before she could even empty her hands, her BlackBerry started ringing. "Dang it." She said aloud. She didn't even bother to look at the ID, she just dropped the things in her hands and answered. "Hello?"

"Mollie..." the voice on the other end said. It was Ben.


	7. Chapter 7 The Phone Call

A/N: Thank you once again for the reviews. Please remember we own nothing but Mollie & Brooklyn. Signed, The Team

"Mollie?" Ben asked. "Hi…how are you doing?"

"Why the hell do you care?" Mollie snapped.

"Why so hostile?" he asked snidely. "I just wanted to make sure you're going to be home for the hearing. Where are you anyway?"

"Like I'd ever tell you," she replied.

"Oh come on baby. Why don't you just tell me so we can sort all this out face to face?" Ben asked.

"Never." Mollie sternly said.

"You know you won't win." Ben snidely commented.

"You've got to be the most arrogant, self-centered man I've ever known. What happened to you, Ben?"

"There you go trying to psycho-analyze me, Mollie"

"You're half right...you really are psycho!" she shot back.

Ben sat silent for a moment, surprised at the backbone she was showing. "You don't know the half of it." And he hung up the phone.

Mollie dropped the phone on the table and tried to catch her breath. Her heart was racing a hundred miles an hour. What did he mean by that? Yes, he had laid a hand on her before - in fact several times before - but was he actually capable of worse?

Suddenly feeling like the walls were closing in on her, Mollie left her room in a hurry. She didn't even get to the elevators before her tears started coming down her face. She was terrified at the possibilities of Ben's threat. She punched the down button on the wall, looking to catch the elevator for some air outside near the pool.

The doors opened and out came a texting Brooklyn on her phone. She saw the redhead in front of her and gasped.

"Mollie?" Brooklyn said. "Oh my God, are you alright?"

"Well what did he say?" Brooklyn asked, now scared for her new friend.

"He...he told me that I wouldn't win in court and that it wasn't over." Mollie started to hyperventilate, the tears coming again. Brooklyn put a hand to her knee in comfort. "He...I told him he was insane and he said that I didn't know the half of it and hung up. I'm so scared."

"Vince knows about the court hearing but he nor Stephanie doesn't know the rest. A restraining order would only push him further to do something. I can't bring all of that into here, I'd lose my job!" Mollie worried.

Brooklyn understood her worries and fears. She sighed. "Alright, but to be honest, I don't want you alone." She thought for a moment, "Do you have a roommate?"

"No." She sniffled.

A smile spread across Brooklyn's face. "Good, then we'll have a slumber party. Let's go grab your things. You're rooming with me from now on. And I'll bring it up with Stephanie that you'll be my new travel buddy."

"You don't have to do that," Mollie insisted. "Besides, he doesn't even know where I am."

"But, I don't think you need to take that chance," Brooklyn told her. "Look, it's done. No arguing. Get your stuff. You're staying with me."

Mollie caved. "Ok. I appreciate it."

"No problem honey. This will be fun!"

Mollie went to her hotel room and gathered up her belongings. She made her way back to Brooklyn's room. She was very thankful of the offer, but a part of her was still apprehensive about the move. She didn't want to drag Brooklyn into her mess.

The next morning everyone was up early, getting ready to catch their flights home. Brooklyn, who lived in southern California, was already gone by the time Mollie finished getting ready. Brooklyn left her a note with all of her contact info and to remind her that she'd talk to Stephanie about the room arrangements.

Mollie got her things together and made her way to her rental car. She had to catch a 9 am flight to St. Louis, and then she was catching a connecting flight back to Stamford. She got in her rental car and headed to the airport. After checking her luggage, she got a java chip frappacino from Starbucks and a magazine and waited for her flight. She was totally lost in her thoughts when she heard her name.

Randy was standing by her, "Hey Mollie. How are you?"

Mollie replied, "I'm great. How are you?"

"I'm ready to go home and see my girls," he answered with a huge smile.

"I bet you are. You've got one little girl, right?" Mollie asked.

Like any proud papa, Randy pulled out his wallet and showed Mollie a picture of Alanna.

Mollie's heart melted at the adorable, mop-headed little brunette. "She's beautiful."

"Thankfully she looks just like her mother," Randy laughed. "So, where are you headed?"

"Back to Stamford. After I catch a connecting flight in St. Louis."

"We'll be on the same flight then. In fact..." he said to himself as he looked at Mollie's ticket as well as his own, "we're sitting beside each other."

"Imagine that...how about we get that one-on-one meeting out of the way while on the plane?" Mollie suggested.

"Great..."

Meanwhile, John was gathering his things from his rental car. He had just turned it back in to the airport and was looking to check in for his flight. He had a restless night. He couldn't shake the conversation he and Randy had the night before.

Randy made a good point in the fact that it was all over and done with, aside from the judge signing his or her signature to make it final. He could let his attorney handle everything; it was what he was paying them the big bucks for. But the fact that his ex-wife had him so jaded was wrong. She screwed up so what was he feeling like the bad guy? Or was it that he wasn't the bad guy, he was just completely crushed? For some reason, the two seemed to both be the correct answer for him.

John knew Randy was trying to help, but it really only stirred up more baggage. That was why he went to the lobby bar. He just wanted peace and quiet. But then he saw her, Mollie. That was another thing he couldn't get off of his mind. In a way, behind her eyes, she seemed sad like him, but he couldn't pin point the problem. He too felt this drawing sensation towards her. He had no clue where it came from, but he had a gut feeling that he needed to just be by her. He'd decided by the time he had reached his room last night that she'd make a good friend. She was cute and seemed to have a pretty decent personality. But he barely knew her, and yet, he wanted to know her better.

She had asked him what was wrong, like any nice person would do, but her question seemed to make him want to open up to her. But because of his ex-wife, he couldn't trust anyone of the female persuasion, not just yet.

Cena sighed as he reached the ticket counter. He checked in for his flight and was thankful there was a Starbuck's near his terminal. 'Coffee would do me some good.' He thought. 'I can't wait for this R&R.' He added.

His only plans were to make sure all of his ex's crap was packed up and in the garage and hit the gym as often as he could.

John then realized it was time for his flight. He grabbed his gear and coffee and headed to board. He then saw Randy and Mollie chatting away on a couch near the terminal. He nodded hello to them as he walked by, not wanting to interrupt the conversation.

Randy sighed as he saw John's face, still stricken with the same pain from their conversation the night before.

Mollie saw the same look as well as heard Randy's sigh. Mollie turned to Randy and said, "He looks so sad."

Randy smiled inwardly at her perception. "He's got a lot of shit going on right now."

Mollie eyed Randy, hoping he'd elaborate but didn't push the issue. "Really?"

Randy thought before speaking. Surely he could let her in on what was going on without telling too much. "He's going through a divorce. It's getting ugly."

"Oh…" Mollie replied, totally being able to relate.

"Yeah and it's really going to be hard for me to be there for him with me being out for at least these next couple of weeks." Randy shook his head sadly. "But, Mollie, please, I say this in pure confidence. John doesn't like his dirt being out there."

"I completely understand. Trust me when I say that I can relate." Mollie sighed.

Randy looked at her for more but before Mollie could reply, their flight was called. She helped the Legend Killer gather his things and the two of them boarded their flight.

As they settled into their seats, their conversation was forgotten about John and Mollie's "issues" and turned it towards business.

Randy and Mollie chatted through the entire flight. That being said, Mollie was able to get all of the information she needed from Randy to make her job easy. When they arrived in St. Louis, Mollie bid Randy farewell and got on her plane to Connecticut. As she got out her laptop to catch up on work, John once again crossed her mind. She remembered what Randy had said during their conversation at the airport. She vowed then and there she'd keep an eye on John, just making sure he's ok.

A couple of hours later, Mollie arrived back at her apartment. She was going to be able to be home today before she had to report to Stephanie for a meeting first thing in the morning. She threw her bags to the floor and immediately collapsed on her bed for a nap.

_Mollie found herself back in the home she shared with Ben. She was standing at her sink washing dishes. Then, the front door swung open. She heard Ben trudge through the house. _

_He yelled, "Mollie!"_

_The sound of his voice sent chill bumps across her arms._

"_MOLLIE!"_

_Ben then stomped into the kitchen. As soon as Mollie turned to face Ben, she saw him draw back his hand._

Mollie sat straight up in bed, trying to catch her breath. _Oh my God…_

A few hours later, John touched down in Tampa. He had a car & driver there waiting on him to drive him home. He just hoped and prayed that there would be no drama once he got there.

The driver pulled up at home and helped John with his gear. He did breathe a sigh of relief to find that the house was intact and not burned to the ground. He opened the door to find the house eerily quiet, much like the day he came in and found Liz with that guy.

He sat down his bags and walked through the house. She wasn't there, and her stuff was gone from her closet. John breathed another sigh of relief. Then he made his way to the office where sat a stack of mail. His college friend and trainer Rob always went by the home while he was gone to just make sure everything was ok.

He started siphoning through the various envelopes, separating the bills from the junk mail.

He raised an eyebrow at an envelope from his attorney. It was a normal letter size envelope, which in John's mind couldn't have been good.

Ripping it open with his letter opener, he unfolded the piece of paper and looked it over.

_Dear Mr. Cena,_

_I am pleased to inform you that all of your ex-wife's, Elizabeth Huberdaeu's, things have been removed from your home and checked off the agreement list. The final pleadings and paper work, along with the physical divorce papers have been given to the judge and we are awaiting a final judgment. _

_I must say that this has been a fairly easy procedure and once I get the signed copies of the agreement from the judge, I will let you know as well as send you a courtesy copy for your records._

_The terms of your prenuptial agreement were clear cut and precise, therefore Ms. Huberdaeu will be receiving one lump sum of the disclosed amount given in the previous mentioned agreement and therefore not eligible for further assistance from you. _

_Sincerely your attorney,_

_Darren Myers_

John looked at the letter and sighed. It would soon be over, so now the real healing could begin. He sat the letter aside and said, "I hope you're happy Liz. I really, really do."


	8. Chapter 8 Headed to Court

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful feedback. Please remember we own nothing but Mollie & Brooklyn. Thanks!

As Mollie headed towards the downtown district where the court house was, she thought back through the past couple of weeks. Randy had been around here and there, but on light duty for only Monday nights. Other than that, he was home. That left John alone. And that meant that John looked to Mollie for a friend during their weekly meetings.

_Flashback_

Mollie was running uncharacteristically late to the staff meeting that night at the arena. They were in Asheville, NC, and she, Brooklyn, and a couple of the Divas were back from their excursion to Kannapolis and Concord to see some of the NASCAR racing shops. Mollie quickly grabbed up her things and ran into the arena. Once again she ran straight into the massive chest of one _John Cena__._

"We've gotta stop meeting like this," he laughed.

"John, I'm so sorry but I'm so late..." Mollie replied as she gathered her papers and got up.

"That's ok...What are you doing after the show?" he asked.

Mollie stopped dead in her tracks. Did he just ask what I think he just asked? She thought. "I'm not sure..."

_"Oh. Well, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to grab some coffee or dessert or something? I've got a few things that just came up and since I was going home for the time off, I'd like to maybe get our meeting out of the way?" John shrugged._

_'Oh.' Mollie thought disappointingly. "Uh, let me get through this staff meeting and we can arrange that. I'll text you." She quickly turned on her heel and made it to the meeting._

_John watched as the red head retreated._

_"What are you looking at?" Brooklyn asked peeking over the Champ's shoulder._

_"Nothing." He laughed. "Come one knucklehead, we've got a COC meeting." John nudged at his good friend and the two headed down the opposite hall Mollie had gone down._

_After the meeting Mollie sent John a quick text. 'How about 11:30 at the restaurant in the hotel? That seems to work well.'_

She quickly received a text back from John. 'C U Then.'

Mollie couldn't help but notice the butterflies in her stomach. 'Stop it Mollie. It's work. And you're still married.'

After the show that night, Mollie took her usual spot in the restaurant of their hotel and was surrounded by her paperwork. She was a bit startled when she looked up and saw John at her table.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he smiled.

"It's ok. I was in my own little world. Sit down..." Mollie replied as she removed her reading glasses.

_"I'm sure you've heard by now, or maybe you haven't, but my divorce is final and I'm looking at taking on some extra bookings now that I'll be home less." John smiled lightly._

_"Oh," Mollie replied. "Are you sure?"_

"Yes...definitely...the less I can go home right now the better."

"You're already the hardest working man in the company..." Mollie laughed.

John nodded, "So I've been told."

The two of them discussed work issues for a while, but then their conversation drifted to families, stories, and jokes. 

_As Mollie laughed at something John had said, she noticed the time on her Blackberry. It was 2 am._

"John, it's so late. I've gotta get in bed or I won't be worth killing tomorrow," Mollie sighed.

"Me too," he agreed. He paid for his drink as well as hers.

"Hey...you didn't have to do that," she told him.

"My treat..." he said with a wink. "I'll see you Monday for Raw?"

"You got it!" Mollie replied.

Mollie smiled at the memory as the cab pulled to a stop at in front of the court house. With a deep sigh, Mollie gathered her things. She was not looking forward to this at all but it just had to be done.

She paid the cabbie and with a nod of thanks headed inside. She checked in with the clerk and he directed her to the appropriate courtroom. Her good for nothing appointed attorney awaited her just outside the courtroom.

"Mollie," attorney Michael Holloway greeted her.

"Hi…" she replied with a sigh.

"I've got some bad news," he began.

"What now?"

"He won't accept the settlement," he informed her.

"WHAT?" Mollie exclaimed, even loud enough for passersby in the courthouse heard her.

"Mollie…" he tried to say before he was interrupted.

"Listen Mr. Holloway…just because you're court appointed doesn't mean you aren't supposed to work for my best interest."

"Mollie, I understand that. I do, but I've tried my best and his counsel will not take the offer. He's declined it. He says that he just wants you and him to work things out and that no amount of money or spousal support will do. Not with the love that he has for you." Her attorney sighed. "I'm sorry Mollie. But we need to come up with a counter offer before we go in there."

"I've exhausted all my resources here. He has the house…his truck…the bike…I even gave him the money that was left in the savings account. I'm sorry, but I refuse to give him anymore. He owns everything that I didn't take in my suitcase when I left. That ought to be enough."

"He's not getting another cent, and if I have to tell him myself I will," Mollie huffed as she turned on a dime and walked into the courtroom.

She opened the door and saw her soon-to-be ex-husband sitting at the front with his attorney. Her heart sank to the floor when he looked up at her and smiled. She looked away and sat down at the opposing table. Her lawyer followed at her heels.

The judge came in and the proceedings began. The judge looked over the paperwork and then looked at Mollie's table.

"Ma'am you are aware that your husband has declined your offer?" The judge asked Mollie.

Mollie stood and smoothed out her skirt. "Yes, Your Honor. I know."

Then Ben's attorney stood and interrupted the proceedings. "Your Honor, Mr. Garrison has asked that this divorce be halted in order to allow my client and his wife to work out their differences. Mr. Garrison believes that they can come to an understanding. That is why he has not signed the papers and we are before you, wasting your time, today."

"I beg your pardon?" Mollie gasped. "I will not settle. For years I have wanted to leave you, Ben, but I was too afraid. Now, I have no other choice for my own well being. You will not get another penny. I've given you all that I have. Everything. And for what you've put me through, it's you who should be giving me the world and then some."

At this point, the red head's blood was boiling and she was on the edge of going completely over. The judge let her rant for a moment. And at this point, she didn't need her counsel either.

Ben stood as did his attorney. "Mollie, I have been nothing but a perfect husband. I just want you back so we can work this out, darlin'."

"YOU LIE!" Mollie, who normally was calm, caring and under control had blown her lid. "You're the reason I ran away. You're the reason I have nothing!"

"ORDER, ORDER!" The judge clanked his gavel on his desk. "Mr. and Mrs. Garrison, both of you SIT DOWN!" He ordered. They sat, each with a huff. "Counsels, please approach the bench."

After a few moments of whispering and silent arguing, each attorney returned to their respective side. The judge ran his hands over his face.

"Despite arguments from both sides and spousal agreements, I am declaring this divorce granted on a no faults basis. There will be nothing owed to Mr. Garrison other than what Ms. Garrison has agreed to in the settlement papers and vice versa. Court is adjourned."

Mollie took a deep breath and walked out of the courtroom, not even bidding her attorney farewell. She walked outside and sat down on a nearby bench, trying to calm her nerves and bring down her blood pressure.

_It's over…_she thought to herself.

As she sat down, she felt her Blackberry go off. It was work emails – including that night's Raw schedule. Mollie was going to have to drive directly from the Tupelo, MS courthouse to Memphis and the FedEx Forum.

Mollie sat down and began to look at her emails when she felt a presence standing before her. She looked up and was sickened at the sight of Ben's sadistic smile.

"What do you want?" she snarled.

"That was quite an impressive showing back there. I didn't know you had it in you," he laughed.

"Benjamin, I'm going to go way off character here and tell you to piss off. We're through. Now leave me alone." Mollie grabbed her things and turned to leave. But Ben wasn't having that.

He grabbed her arm that held her things and they came crashing to the cement as Ben forcefully held her. "Trust me Mollie, we're not through."

A crowd was beginning to stare and Ben let her go. Mollie dropped to the concrete and picked up her things as Ben still towered over her. Mollie was doing her best to not let the tears fall.

"Like I said, trust me, I'll find you and you will come home Mollie. You belong here. With me." Ben stated sternly.

Mollie stood, her things collected took a huge breath, controlling her words. "Come near me and you'll regret it." She spat at him with venom, turning on her heel, walking away.

An insignificant breeze blew and Ben looked down at his feet. He picked up the piece of paper that had Mollie's name on it. It was her business card. 'Finding you just became the easiest thing in the world.' He thought to himself with a sly smirk that would put Randy Orton to shame.

By the time Mollie reached her car, she was a mess. And the moment she buckled in she lost control of the tears she was so desperately trying to fight.

Then her phone rang. It was her new best friend Brooklyn.

"Mollie…"

Mollie sniffled as she tried to pull herself together. "Hey…"

"What's wrong? How did it go?" Brooklyn asked.

"Uh…" she stammered.

"When will you be here?" Brooklyn asked.

"An hour and a half," Mollie answered.

"Call me as soon as you get here."

Mollie sniffled once again, "I will."

"Be careful," Brooklyn replied. "Bye girl."

"Bye…"

Meanwhile, Ben got into his truck. He was still holding Mollie's business card.

"Talent Relations Coordinator Mollie Garrison," he read aloud. "That's a joke." Then he picked up his phone and called his friend Scott.

Scott answered, "Hey man…how did it go?"

"Oh fine…hey listen, didn't you say that one of your buddies was trying to get you to go to that wrestling show tonight?"

Scott replied, "Yeah…Raw is going to be in Memphis tonight at the FedEx Forum."

"That's what I thought…" Ben said.

"Why?" he asked.

Ben replied, "Oh…no reason. I just thought I might ride off up there. I'll holler at you later."

Scott said, "Bye…" and hung up the phone, thinking that was a strange phone call from his good friend.

The hour and a half drive for Mollie to the FedEx Forum was a long, quiet one. She managed to calm herself enough on her way in order to remain professional at work. She pulled into the arena after flashing her appropriate credentials and called Brooklyn once she parked.

The buxom blonde met her in the parking lot to help her gather her things.

"I have been worried sick about you the last hour." Brooklyn took Mollie's bag from her and gave her a big, strong hug. "What in the world happened?"

"Let's get inside and I'll tell you." Mollie sighed sadly.

Brooklyn nodded and the two women headed to the Diva's locker room. She was still the only Diva around the arena at the time and Mollie released a breath of relief at that note. "Sit down honey."

"He lied right to the judge and told him that he was a perfect husband. Perfect husband my ass," Mollie said.

"Hey now…I know you've gotta be mad," Brooklyn tried to make a joke.

"I am now divorced…the judge granted me a no fault. I have nothing, but I don't want anything from him," Mollie explained.

"You're done with him, and you're going to be better in this. I promise. I love you, and this entire locker room loves you. We're all here for you."

Mollie smiled. "I know. I don't know how I would have made it through the past few months without y'all."

"It's what we're here for. It's what I'm here for." Brooklyn smiled and hugged her. "Come on, toss your stuff in my cubby and we'll head to catering. They've got these amazing chocolate covered strawberries in there."

Mollie smiled for the first time that afternoon as she followed whom she considered to now be her best friend to the catering department.

Meanwhile, Ben was just merging off the highway and into downtown Memphis. He drove slowly along Beale Street looking for a decent parking spot, not far from the forum. "Mollie, Mollie, Mollie..." Ben said to himself as he again glanced at her business card and exited his truck.

On his way up here, he called the arena and bought a ticket to the show. He looked for the will call window so he could pick up his ticket. He had no idea what he was going to do once he found Mollie, but he was sure that she was coming home with him – one way or another.


	9. Chapter 9 Visions of the Past

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. You don't know how much we appreciate it. Remember…we own nothing but Mollie and Brooklyn.

Mollie was beginning to feel a little better as she got back into the swing of things at work. She was very thankful for her wonderful new friends in the WWE, especially Brooklyn. But in the back of her mind, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened that morning. How could he sit there and lie? And she was also mentally beating herself up for not leaving him sooner as well as letting people know about the abuse.

She and Brooklyn walked into the meeting and found a seat near the front. They were deep in conversation about Mollie's ordeal that morning when Randy and John made their way inside.

John looked at Mollie and immediately saw that something wasn't quite right. However, he decided to leave her be for the moment. If she wanted to talk, she'd talk.

The meeting began and clicked away like usual with everyone getting their assignments. John was going to be involved with a rather secret angle with the season one NXT rookies. The scripts just talked about a vague finish with no details. When the meeting ended, Brooklyn headed to hair, makeup, and wardrobe leaving Mollie to begin her usual Monday rounds.

John took this opportunity to pull Mollie aside. "Hey."

"Oh, John, hi." Mollie smiled softly.

That gesture alone concerned John because it wasn't Mollie's million watt smile. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure." Mollie sighed. "What's going on?" She asked as they stepped away from the group filing out of catering.

"I saw you and Brooklyn talking earlier. You seemed upset. I just wanted to see if you were alright? If it's Vince, I can help with that. Or if anyone here's been giving you a hard time, I'll talk with them." John seemed genuinely concerned and he wasn't sure why his gut feeling was to protect her with whatever problem she had, but he felt the deep need to.

"Oh, uh..." Mollie didn't want to burden him. "I'm good. Just venting to a good friend." She white lied.

"Alright. You know I'm here for you." John said.

"John, really. I'm okay." She smiled up at him. His blue eyes made her feel weak in the knees.

"Okay. I believe you." He chuckled a little. "But just so you know, I'm here for you if you ever need anything. It's the least I could do since you've listened to me mope and groan around here for the last few months."

"It's my job…and besides y'all are more like family than coworkers. That's what I'm here for," she smiled, more genuine this time.

"How about our usual? Hotel bar after the show?" he asked.

"You got it…" she agreed.

As Mollie and the rest of the WWE geared up for show time, Ben was perusing around the arena. There were still hours until show time, but he needed something to do. He scoped out the entire perimeter of the arena. He noticed the parked cars near the back exit that were surrounded by a metal gate as well as security. Mollie came to court in a cab, so that posed a problem in figuring out which rental was hers.

'I need a drink.' Ben thought as he walked down the street away from the arena. He took up shelter in one of the bar's just across the street from the FedEx Forum. 'Hooter's works.' He thought as he was seated at a high top bar table near the windows so he could watch around the arena.

"What can I get'cha?" The busty brunette named Melanie asked.

"The tallest beer you have and a Jack and Coke to chase it." He ordered.

"Anything to eat?" Melanie asked.

"A round of wings ought to do it." Ben winked and Melanie walked off.

Once she brought him his things, Ben sat back and enjoyed the women around him as well as his surveillance on the forum.

Back inside the arena, Mollie made her way to check on the Divas in hair & makeup. The Divas were also involved in this Viewer's Choice Raw, with the more probable choice being a battle royal so all of them could be involved.

"Hey girl…did you get a chance to look at the script?" Mollie asked as she propped herself on the doorway of hair/makeup.

"Yeah." Brooklyn sighed. "Any word on what the viewers picked?"

"No, but it's looking like a Battle Royal for sure." Mollie walked in and stood next to her friend.

"How are you doing?" Brooklyn asked.

Mollie just shrugged. Brooklyn nodded.

"What'd John want?" Brooklyn winked. "Don't think I didn't see him pull you off to the side." She giggled.

"Nothing. Checking in with me." Mollie replied.

"Oh." Brooklyn smiled. "So, what do you say we do a girls' night tonight? You know not go out, but maybe order some ice cream and watch a movie after Raw?"

"I'd love to but Cena said that he wanted to meet about something regarding his schedule. Rain check?"

"Oh course."

"Good. I better go and make sure everything is set for show time. I'll see you later." Mollie winked and her friend and left.

A few hours later, it was show time. Bret & Teddy started the show, and off they went. Then it was time for the Viewer's Choice Divas Match. Brooklyn as well as the other Divas stood on the stage and were all delighted to hear that the WWE Universe had chosen a Divas Battle Royal.

The girls made their way down to the ring and started their match. Brooklyn, Maryse, and Jillian were the final three. Brooklyn was soon eliminated by the #1 Divas Champion contender Maryse. Then Maryse made quick work of Jillian to be declared the winner.

Brooklyn made her way to the back and immediately spotted Mollie.

"Good match, honey," Mollie smiled.

"Thanks…let me take a shower and then we'll watch the rest of the show," Brooklyn replied.

Mollie sat in the locker room and waited for Brooklyn to finish getting ready. When Brooklyn finished, she plopped down on the couch next to her friend just in time for John's main event.

"Any idea who he's facing?" Brooklyn asked.

"I don't know, B. Punk was leading the votes last time I checked. It would be great if John would rip that mask off," Mollie replied.

Brooklyn laughed, "True dat, honey." She paused for a second and thought before she spoke. "You know…you're free now. John's free now since his divorce is final."

Mollie just looked over and gave her friend a look.

"It was just an idea!" Brooklyn laughed.

"Brooklyn, I love you I do. But my divorce was just finalized today. And trust me, while I like John, as a friend, neither him nor I are ready for that sort of thing." Mollie sighed.

"But you at least admit he's good looking?" Brooklyn laughed.

"Yes, I will admit that." Mollie blushed.

"Well, he's hot, you're hot, I see it working in your favor." Brooklyn tired joking with her.

"Watch the show." Mollie chuckled and turned her attention to the screen.

It was now time for the main event. John made his way to the gorilla and took a deep breath. He knew he would be feeling this match for the next couple of days. His music hit and he ran out to the ring.

He ran out and slid under the bottom rope, doing his usual in-ring routine. He took off his cap and shirt and threw them into the audience. His dog tags caught his eye as he proceeded to take them off. Staring back at him was Liz's name.

_Gotta get that fixed, _he thought to himself. He took them off, kissed them, and gave them to the ref. He awaited his opponent, chosen by the WWE Universe.

He awaited the choice along with everyone else in the arena, but the angle planned at the end of the match ran through his mind.

"CM PUNK!" announced Matt Striker.

Punk along with Luke Gallows and Serena made their way to the ring and the match got underway. It clicked on for several minutes, and then the super secret NXT angle began to unfold.

"So I guess this is what everyone's wondering about?" Mollie asked aloud as she and Brooklyn watched the match.

"I guess so…" Brooklyn agreed.

Through the match, the girls 'ooed' 'ohed' and cringed at the way the NXT Rookies were beating down Cena. It was not looking pretty.

"He's gonna be sore…" Mollie said.

"Look what they're doing now!" Brooklyn explained. At that moment, the NXT rookies took out everyone…Lawyer, Striker, Punk, Gallows, the timekeeper, Justin Roberts…tore the ring apart and left if it in a pile of rubble.

"Wow…" both girls said at the same time.

"NWO invasion-ish?" Brooklyn mused.

"Looks like it…"

The girls watched as they carted John off on a stretcher. The show was officially over.

"I need to go wrap up some stuff. I'll catch you later?" Mollie said to Brooklyn.

"Yeah, I'm going to go check on the gimp on my way out." Brooklyn laughed in regards to Cena and winked at her friend as they parted ways.

Mollie's security detail was hot on her heels as she trudged though the arena hallways making sure her job was done for the night. Once she was near the parking lot, she turned to the big man and smiled.

"Zack, it's okay. You can go. I just parked right outside the door, sweetie." Mollie was thankful for him but there were times she wish she didn't have him.

"Miss Mollie, you know I can't do that." Zack, a big white male who would even put John's frame to shame chuckled.

"I mean it Zack. I'm fine. I'm the first car near the door. Go ahead and make sure that everyone is heading out of this place. I'll be fine." Mollie placed a gentle hand on his arm.

Zack sighed knowing that the stubborn Southerner wouldn't let it be until she got her way. "Alright. Please just text me when you get to your room. I will come knocking if I don't hear from you."

"Trust me, I know." Mollie had made the mistake of telling Zack to leave her be once before and just as this time promised to inform him that she was safe once she had reached her destination. Only she had forgotten and sure enough, Zack come pounding on her hotel room door just as she had exited her shower. Talk about an embarrassing moment for the duo.

Mollie waved goodbye to Zack and stepped out of the forum into the mildly humid night. She breathed in the Memphis air and smiled. She felt at home. Casually stepping down the steps to her car she popped her trunk and tossed her stuff inside, closing the lid.

When she turned, she didn't expect to see him standing there and gasped in pure fear at the look in his eyes. She had seen it before.

"Hi Mollie," Ben said softly.

Mollie jumped at the sound of his voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Listen baby…can we talk?" he slurred out. Mollie could smell the alcohol.

"You're drunk. Go back home and dry out," she spat.

"Why don't you come back home and make me?" he shot back.

"Ben, we're divorced now. You're no longer my problem. And you better leave now before I call security," Mollie stood up to him.

"You don't have the guts…" he glared at her.

She pulled out her phone and began to dial 911, just to call his bluff. At that moment, Ben lunged forward and tried to grab her phone. Mollie leaned out of the way, and she watched Ben stumble and land against her car. This did nothing but anger the already drunk Ben. He jumped up and grabbed Mollie by both arms and pulled her forward.

"And what's the deal with you running off to join that traveling circus called 'rasslin?" he yelled. "Huh!"

Mollie was terrified. Visions of past abuses ran through her head. She knew how this would more than likely end.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn made her way back to the trainer's room to check on John. He was gotten off the stretcher as soon as he was taken backstage.

"You alright, champ?" Brooklyn asked as she saw John walking out.

"I feel like I've been run over by a Mack truck but I'll be fine," he smiled. "Have you seen Mollie?"

"She left just a little while ago. Why?" she asked.

John replied, "I just wanted to make sure she was still going to be available to go over my schedule."

"You just go to your normal meeting spot. I'll get her there," Brooklyn winked.

"Thanks Brookie." John winked back and headed for his rental car.

Brooklyn called her friend to assure she would be meeting with the Champ but when Mollie didn't answer, she sighed and left her a voicemail with a quick text to follow. With a nod of satisfaction to herself, Brooklyn found Barbie Blank aka Kelly Kelly and Eve and the three of them headed back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, Mollie headed through the back entrance avoiding the lobby at all costs. Her phone was dead, therefore off and she preferred it that way. She made it to her room and collapsed on her bed with a flood of tears.

She got up and walked into the bathroom. She splashed cold water and her face and looked up into the mirror. A bruise was beginning to form around her left eye. Ben had been in a blind rage while beating Mollie. She was lucky that Ben heard a security guard inside the parking garage. If he hadn't, he probably would still be there beating her.

John came into the hotel restaurant and sat down. He found it a little odd that Mollie wasn't already busy working as she usually was, but he thought she might be running a little late. He tried her phone again and didn't get an answer. He left her a voice mail.

"Mollie…hi, it's John. I'm downstairs in the restaurant waiting on you. Give me a call, ok? Bye." He hung up the phone and sat, waiting on the ray of sunshine known as Mollie.

Mollie sat on her bed, and finally turned her phone back on. She noticed missed calls from Brooklyn and John.

"JOHN…oh no…" Mollie realized she had forgotten about John. She quickly pounded out a text to him.

_John…I'm so sorry. I have a bad migraine. Rain check?_

She hated lying to him, but all she wanted to do at the moment was take a shower and go to bed. Unfortunately, it would be with an ice pack on her eye.

John sat at the table and waited for a good amount of time until he received Mollie's text. After reading it, he couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that struck him. He hoped he hadn't offended her by telling her he was always there for her. He hoped she didn't think he was coming on to her in anyway. They were friends, good ones he figured. But he wasn't going to deny that she was gorgeous and made him smile with her spiritedness. He chuckled a little as he thought about her laugh and how her smile would brighten his day even when his lousy ex-wife would creep into his thoughts.

He quickly replied to her, _'It's okay. See you tomorrow when we head out_.'

John dragged himself away from the table and headed for the elevators. He noticed Brooklyn and her girlfriends laughing as they crossed the lobby and gave her a quick nod with a sad smirk. Brooklyn just winked and watched him leave.

Once in his room, John thought hard about the conversation that he had with Mollie earlier in the day and how upset she had seemed when Mollie was talking with Brooklyn.

_I hope she's alright_, he thought as he sighed and readied himself for bed.

That night, after having his rear handed to him by NXT and feeling defeated by his own body, John Cena hardly slept as he thought about the red head a few floors up.


	10. Chapter 10 Cover Up

Mollie's eyes fluttered open, and she quickly closed them to block out the harsh hotel room light. She slowly set up in bed and held her head. Then her hand found her eye.

"Owww…" she squealed.

She got up and walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. She examined the round bruise that had formed around her eye. It was a dark shade of purple.

"Gotta go heavy on the makeup today," she said to herself.

She started a steaming hot shower and got inside. As she started washing her hair, thoughts of the night before popped into her head. She remembered the entire attack, blow by blow. How did he find her? How in the world did he know where she was?

She got out of the shower and proceeded to get ready for her day. She had a mid-afternoon flight back to Stamford for a meeting with Stephanie. As she was getting ready, she heard a knock at her door.

Sighing, Mollie stepped out of the bathroom and looked through the peep hole. It was Brooklyn.

Sighing, Mollie stepped out of the bathroom and looked through the peep hole. It was Brooklyn.

"Dang it." She whispered. "Uh, Just a second." Mollie took her washcloth and acted like she was getting something off of her eye as she threw open her door. "Hey Brooklyn."

"Mornin'. What's wrong with your eye?" Brooklyn smiled as she stepped into Mollie's room once the redhead had stepped aside.

"Oh, I have a sty coming on." Mollie lied.

Brooklyn nodded and sat on Mollie's bed. "So are you up for some breakfast before you go? How'd last night with John go?"

"I didn't make it," Mollie informed her. "I had a huge migraine so I called it an early night."

"Oh…" Brooklyn replied. "What time do you fly out today?"

"Two. I've got a meeting with Stephanie."

"Ohh…bad?" she asked.

Mollie replied, "Oh no…just a review. Everything will be fine."

"Ok…" Brooklyn said. "You know, I know an old wives trick for those sties. Let me see your washcloth."

"No, B its fine, I got it." Mollie said as she turned away.

"Come on, it won't take long." Brooklyn reached again for the cloth and this time managed to swipe it from Mollie's grasp. Brooklyn gasped. "Oh my God, what the hell happened?"

"I…uh…" Mollie stammered. She was busted and couldn't get out of it.

"Who did this to you?" Brooklyn asked. "Did he? Ben?"

Mollie could not longer hold back her emotions. She let them flow from her eyes as tears like rain. She sat down on her bed, and Brooklyn quickly sat down beside her.

"What happened?" Brooklyn asked.

"I dismissed Zack because I had parked by the door. I was fine. I walked down the steps put my stuff in the car and when I turned to walk to the driver's door, Ben was right behind me. We exchanged words and he made a snide comment about my job and demanded that I come home with him. The next thing I know he's got his hands on me, slapping me around and he didn't stop until he heard someone coming out of the door again." Mollie cried.

"Did security see him? Did you report it? Mollie, you've got to press charges." Brooklyn rattled off.

"No. I can't report it. He won't stop, even if I press charges." Mollie continued. "He'll kill me, I'm sure of it."

"Not if I have anything to do with it." Brooklyn stated sternly.

"No, Brooklyn, please, just, stay out of it. Please. I'm begging you." Mollie pleaded with tear filled eyes.

"Honey, I can't do that. I'm way too involved. I swear if that man ever comes near you again, he won't get off that easy." Brooklyn threatened.

"Just, please, please, don't tell anyone. I don't think he'll be around. I just don't know how he got through the gates. Or how he found me." Mollie sniffled. Then she gasped.

"What?" Brooklyn asked concerned. "What is it?"

"My business card. He pushed me around after the hearing and my purse dumped out. One of my cards must have gotten loose. And he had to have used his press badge." Mollie placed her head in her hands. She was dizzy and light headed.

"Press badge?" Brooklyn asked.

"Aside from his dead end furniture job, Ben is a photographer for our local tribune. It's a small job but it gives him credentials." Mollie started to cry again. She should have remembered that.

As she continued to cry, Brooklyn wrapped a protective arm around her friend and held her as she cried.

"I'm sorry. You have more important things to do." Mollie sighed.

"Nonsense." Brooklyn smiled warmly. "Now, come on, get dressed. I'll teach you a couple tricks in the make up department. I've had a few black eyes from this job that needed covering up."

Mollie nodded. She gathered her things and finished getting ready. She turned to her friend and sighed. "Thank you."

"My pleasure." Brooklyn nodded. "Now, just be sure you use the concealer around your eye, then your foundation and then powder. It won't hide it all, it's pretty deep, but it will help."

Then went into the bathroom and Brooklyn proceeded to give Mollie her makeup tricks of the trade. It helped but the bruise was still pretty visible.

"Can we take a rain check on breakfast this morning?" Mollie asked. "I just don't think I'm up to it today."

"It's totally understandable, but please call me as soon as you land in Stamford," Brooklyn pleaded.

Mollie replied, "I will. But it will be ok. He doesn't know where I live."

"If he knows you work for the WWE, it couldn't be that hard to find out where the headquarters are located."

Brooklyn had a point, but Mollie had to push that out of her mind. "I know. I'll call you. Thank you," she said as she gave her a hug.

"You're welcome." Brooklyn replied as she left Mollie.

Mollie closed the door behind her and finished getting ready. Then the need for some coffee struck her. And this morning it was going to take more than just the normal in-room coffee.

_I need Starbucks…_Mollie thought as she grabbed her sunglasses and made her way downstairs.

Lucky for her, there was one in the lobby. Mollie made sure she was nearly packed before grabbing her wallet and room key. She prayed as she waited for the elevator that her make up was good enough to hide her bruise.

Taking the elevator to the lobby, Mollie quickly dashed for the line that grew at the Starbuck's counter. Once she had ordered her tall java chip frappacino and the barista filled her request, Mollie tipped the young girl and headed right for the elevators.

So far, she was lucky and had yet to see anyone from work. But she the elevator dinged and the doors opened, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Well if it isn't my favorite redhead this morning." John said as he stepped up next to her.

Mollie turned and smiled. "Hi John…"

He asked, "Are you feeling better?"

"I am," Mollie lied. "My head is still hurting a little bit though."

"Hence the coffee…" he commented.

"Yeah…" she said, trying to turn so he couldn't see the bruise.

"What time is your…whoa…" he said as he looked at her. He gently took his thumb and finger and pulled her chin up. "Some migraine…" She didn't answer until he asked, "What really happened?"

"Oh, I was walking through my hotel room sending B a text and walked straight into the door frame of my bathroom," she lied.

"Oh really…" he said.

"Yeah." She smiled slightly. "So," she looked him over as his hand dropped from her chin, "just finished at the gym huh?" She changed the subject.

John frowned slightly. "Yeah. Heading up to shower and get ready to head out. What about you?"

"I'm packing then going to the airport. I have to meet with Stephanie in Stamford." She nodded.

"I hope it's nothing bad." He commented as the elevator doors dinged on his floor. He stuck his foot in the doorway so it wouldn't close.

"No, just a review. Sorry again about last night. But we'll meet when I get back, I promise." Mollie was praying she'd get out of there before he asked again about her eye.

"See you later then." John said as he exited the elevator. But before the doors could close, he stuck his hand in between then. "Are you sure you're alright?" He just had to ask.

"I'm good. I'll see you later…" she replied with a smile as the elevator closed and continued up.

"Bye…" he said as the doors shut and she was gone. "Something's not right…" he said to himself. He grabbed his phone and typed out a text to Brooklyn.

_Where are you?_

_About to head to the airport. Why?_

_Hang out for a sec. Coming by your room._

_Ok._

John knew that if anyone knew what was going on, it would be Brooklyn. He quickly raced up to her room and knocked on the door. She opened the door and motioned for John to come in. She, at the moment, had a mouth full of toothpaste.

She spit out the toothpaste and smiled, "What can I do for you, John?"

"What happened to Mollie? Where did she get that black eye?" he asked.

Brooklyn's heart sank. She wanted to tell John what happened, but she had sworn secrecy to Mollie. "What? I haven't seen her this morning," she lied.

"I ran into her downstairs and she had a huge black eye. She said she ran into the door frame of the bathroom while sending you a text," he explained.

Brooklyn scrambled for a reply. "That sounds like her. You know how much of a klutz she is. Heck, she's literally run into you several times.

"Yeah." He chuckled a little at the thought. "But all laughs aside, are you sure?"

Brooklyn swallowed a little hard. She hated lying to John. If anyone always had her back it was him. But she had Mollie's. "Positive. She was texting me last night like she always does and I'm sure just wasn't paying attention. She's a goofball. She gets so focused on one task she forgets to breathe sometimes. I'm sure she's fine."

He thought for a moment. "Alright." John sighed. He was caring more for his friend than he thought. "Want a ride to the airport?"

"Sure." Brooklyn smiled. "Gimme like ten minutes and I'll meet you in the lobby?"

"Ten it is." John nodded and left the blonde letting out a huge sigh of relief.

Ten minutes later, John met his bubbly Diva friend in the lobby and they were off to the airport. By this time, Mollie was boarding her plane to Stamford. She sat down and breathed a sigh of relief. She wondered if John believed her story about her eye, but she also hated lying. John had been so nice to her, as had everyone else in the WWE. But John had garnered a special place in her heart.

By the time the plane had taken off, Mollie was prepping for her meeting with Stephanie. It was time for her new hire review and even though she had one as the receptionist, this new position granted her even more of a challenge and Mollie only prayed she was making the princess of the WWE Empire happy. If not, she'd surely have her head on a platter in front of Vince.

Once Mollie figured she was as ready as she could be, she gathered her things up and set them in her carryon bag before hunkering down to catch a few moments of rest before the plane would land.

Finally in Connecticut, Mollie waited for her luggage and found her driver that would take her back to WWE Global in Stamford. Through the drive, Mollie answered texts and emails from her various Superstars and Divas regarding their schedules and managed to set up a few things for meetings and interviews for the next Raw.

The black car pulled up to Global and Mollie exited. The driver promised to have her things sent to her office in order for her to meet with Stephanie. As Mollie rode the elevator to one of the top floors in building, she nervously smoothed out her skirt and dress jacket. And as the door dinged on Stephanie's floor, she glanced in the reflection of the silver walls in the elevator to make sure her eye was still covered up good enough.

If Stephanie caught on, she'd have to lie and that was not what she was looking to do. Then an idea struck her. Her glasses. She quickly pulled them from her briefcase and slid them up her face. The frames would hide what the make up was desperately tying to keep covered.

"Good afternoon Mollie." Stephanie's secretary said from behind her desk. The older woman reminded Mollie of her high school librarian.

"Good afternoon." Mollie smiled. "Is Stephanie ready for me?"

"Yes. I'll let her know you're here." The woman said and called into Stephanie's office. There was a brief pause as the woman waited for Stephanie's words. When she hung up she smiled at Mollie. "Go on in."

Mollie sighed and took her things with her, stepping into the expansive and highly expensive office.

Stephanie looked up from her computer and nodded. "Hi Mollie. Come on in."

Mollie tried to read Stephanie's body language and was coming up empty. She couldn't tell if she was about to get a pat on the back or a boot out the door.

Stephanie grabbed what appeared to be Mollie's file from her desk and looked up. "Sit down. How are you doing?"

"I'm good," Mollie answered. "How are you?" she asked, referring to Stephanie's ever-growing baby belly.

"Getting as big as a house," she laughed. "But, we're doing great. Now, I've got your review right here. I need you to look over it, ask any questions you might have, and then sign at the bottom stating that you've reviewed it.

Mollie reluctantly opened up the folder and began reading. She was relieved to have received glowing reviews from everyone – Superstars, Divas, backstage crew, and even Vince and Stephanie themselves. She did have a few things that she needed to work on, in which Mollie agreed wholeheartedly. She smiled and signed the review.

Stephanie laughed to herself at Mollie's reaction. "I'm not the big bad wolf Mollie. You're doing a fantastic job. You're a valued member of the WWE team."

"Thank you so much. This is by far the greatest job I've ever had, and I am so thankful for it," Mollie smiled.

"I'll let you get to your office and get to work," Stephanie said as she got up to shake Mollie's hand.

"Thanks Stephanie," she replied as she turned to head toward her office. She gave Stephanie's secretary a relieved smile and wink and got on the elevator to go downstairs. Once she made it to her office she locked the door, threw off her high heels, and proceeded on her work at her desk.

The time literally clicked away and before Mollie realized it she had returned more phone calls, emails and written a few reports before her wall clock dinged 5 pm. She knew she wasn't going home anytime soon so she called for take out and alerted the night guards that she'd be in her office and was expecting food.

She seemed to cook through more work as she waited for her food since the phones were on night service. However, just as she sat down with her Chinese and Mountain Dew her office phone rang.

She knew her cell was off and charging and figured it might be Stephanie telling her to leave it until tomorrow but when she picked up the receiver she was surprised to hear the voice on the other line.

"World Wrestling Entertainment, Mollie speaking." She answered.

"I'm glad you made it back safely." He said.

"Oh…hi John," she replied surprised. "I did."

Mollie thought of something to say. "Hi John." Was the best she could come up with.

"Now, first thing is first, how'd your meeting go?" John asked politely. He was now home and relaxing in his backyard. He was lonely but at peace.

"Fine, thank you. She thinks I'm doing a great job." Mollie laughed.

"You didn't need Stephanie to tell you that." John flirted a little. Man was he out of the game for too long. 'Wait a minute, am I flirting?' He thought. With a slight chuckle and a shake of his head he continued, "Everyone could vouch for you for that."

"Well, thank you. Obviously your flight was decent." Mollie tried to carry on the conversation but was running out of ideas and fast.

"I slept. It was quick." He replied. "So, what are you doing there so late?"

"It's only six thirty, John." Mollie laughed a little.

"But you should be at home, unpacking, doing laundry, or whatever your little heart desires." John said. 'My God I sound lame.'

"I should, you're right, but there is way too much work to be done. Just because I'm on the road, doesn't mean the buck stops here." Mollie straightened up in her chair.

"Well, I won't keep you from your work," he said. "I just wanted to call and check on you. How's the eye?"

"Oh it's fine. Maybe if I'd stop being such a klutz things like this wouldn't happen," she lied once again.

"I'll see you Friday for the house show. Don't work too hard," he smiled on his end of the phone.

"I won't. Have a great week," she replied.

"Bye…"

Mollie said, "Bye…" She hung up the phone and smiled. Even though it was killing her lying to John, she loved the feeling of having a friend who really seemed to care.


	11. Chapter 11 The Start of Something New?

In the weeks that had passed, Mollie's eye healed like nothing had ever happened at all. But that didn't mean the scene played itself out over and over again when she closed her eyes or let her mind wander far from work. That being said, over the past few weeks, Mollie became uncharacteristically quiet.

In addition to Mollie's woes, a new pay-per-view concept was introduced to the WWE Universe called Fatal 4-Way, which involved fatal four way rule matches. John and Brooklyn both lost their championships – to Sheamus and Alicia Fox, respectively. That added to Mollie's quietness because she had been more occupied with their schedules and didn't spend as much time with John and Brooklyn as when she first started.

Yet, Mollie continued her weekly meetings individually with each Superstar and Diva as scheduled. And her meetings with John continued to occur at the restaurant or bar of the hotel where they were. But instead of the friendly banter and talks, Mollie kept it mostly business related.

With Mollie's change in demeanor and behavior, Cena continued to wonder if something really was going on with Mollie, but he didn't press the issue. However, he knew if something didn't change, he'd have to investigate – starting with Brooklyn .

Mollie woke up that morning in Philadelphia – the site for that night's Raw – and looked at herself in the mirror. Her red hair was a wavy mess, and she had huge bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep.

"Ugh…" she groaned. Then she realized that what she needed was a good run on the treadmill. She was still fairly new to working out, but she did know it always made her feel better. She quickly changed into some workout gear and made her way to the gym, praying it was relatively empty.

She walked in and was relieved to find the gym empty except for hotel staff. She grabbed the nearest treadmill, turned on her iPod, and began her run. Mollie was generally a country music fan, but for her workouts and run she cranked up the volume with anything from Nickleback to Linkin Park to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

About fifteen minutes into her run, she had a strange feeling wash over her. It was a feeling like someone was watching her – their eyes boring a hole into her. Her heart sank down into her stomach. She turned her iPod down just a bit and continued with her run. A few seconds later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped and gasped, "Oh shit…" It was Teddy.

"Oh, Mollie. I'm sorry sweetie." Teddy reached out to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder as she held her hand to her chest. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Its..its alright. Just wasn't thinking anyone was there." Mollie tried to control her breathing.

"So, how's my favorite Mississippian?" He asked.

Mollie chuckled with him. "I'm fine, but I hardly think I'm your favorite. What can I do for you DiBiase?"

"Ok," Ted laughed. "You're my second favorite, right behind my wife."

"I see how it is," Mollie scoffed.

"Listen," he continued, "can you email me another copy of this month's schedule? My laptop crashed, so I can't get it. And for some reason I can't open it on my phone either."

"Sure...no problem," Mollie smiled.

"Oh speaking of my lovely wife, she is coming in for the show tonight and I know she'd love to meet you. Don't let me forget to introduce the two of you," he asked.

"Sure thing DiBiase," Mollie obliged.

He bid Mollie farewell and went back to his workout. Mollie did the same, starting her iPod back up in time to hear the famous opening chords of "Sweet Home Alabama."

Ted walked back to the weights when he saw John walking in. He motioned him over.

"Cena..." Ted greeted him.

"What's up Teddy?" John asked.

"You tell me Coach." Ted laughed.

"We'll work on some snatch today." John smugly nodded. He quickly glanced over at Mollie who caught his eye the moment he stepped into the gym. She was back to a jog on the treadmill. Ted just laughed.

"Why don't you just ask her out?" He chuckled.

"Mollie? No, man. It's cool. She's a good friend." John smiled.

"Come on, don't think I haven't seen you look at her from time to time. Your deal has been over for months now. Have you even thought about getting back into it?" Ted asked as they set up for their first set.

"Not really." Cena shrugged. "Liz left a bitter taste in my mouth."

"Cena, man, look, I'm not trying to be an ass here and point this out but...you and Liz had been having problems for a while. Before you guys got married you two had both been well, you see where I'm going with this?" Ted sighed.

John thought for a moment. At first he felt like telling Teddy he was over stepping his boundaries, but on second thought, Ted was actually right. And it wasn't like Randy hadn't pointed everything out to him before. "Hmm, you know Ted, you're right." He said. "Maybe I should get into the game a little. Mollie's a great woman, but, I don't know if she'd be willing to date me. We're still friends with more a business relationship."

"Just a thought man." Ted slapped him on the back. "Now, lets get to this work out."

'Maybe I should talk to Brooklyn about Mollie.' He thought. John nodded and the two got to lifting.

When John was finished with his workout, he looked toward the treadmills and was disappointed to see Mollie had apparently finished and left. She had already showered, changed, and was on her way to the arena for a meeting.

John showered, changed, and headed to the arena as well. He had a couple of phone interviews he had to do as well as a Circle of Champions meeting. But, he needed to find a certain blond-haired diva first.

He arrived and began looking for Brooklyn, and he found her chatting up Stu (Wade Barrett) and Paul (Justin Gabriel) from NXT. She was in full flirtation mode, laughing and adding on extra charm. John walked in and put his arm around Brooklyn's shoulder.

"Hey sweetheart…" he winked. "Hey guys."

"Oh hey John," Brooklyn replied, obviously perturbed that she was interrupted. Paul & Stu nodded.

"Can I steal her away for just a few minutes?" John asked.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"It won't take long. I promise," he insisted.

"We need to go anyway, B," Paul smiled.

"Yeah, we'll see you later," Stu added with a wink. Then the two "rookies" walked away.

"John, this better be really important," Brooklyn pouted.

"It is," he promised. "It's about Mollie."

"Mollie? Why? What's wrong?" she asked, trying not to panic.

"Oh nothing. I just needed to ask you something," he said, trying to find the right words. "Is she seeing anyone?"

"Her divorce is barely final and..." Brooklyn started to say and then stopped when she saw John's puzzled expression.

"She's divorced?" he asked. "She's never mentioned it."

_Oh no…_ she thought and scrambled for a response. "I…have probably said too much."

"It's ok," John nodded. "That's personal and if she wanted to share it, she would have." _A common bond, _he thought.

Brooklyn then tried to hide her grin as realization hit her. "Why, John Cena, do you happen to have a little thing for my best friend?" She mocked him in a southern tone.

John chuckled. "I see she's rubbing off on you." He cleared his throat. "But, no...not a thing...okays, yeah maybe."

"Eeep!" Brooklyn clapped excitedly. Then she sighed and her shoulders slumped. "No, she's not seeing anyone. Honestly, I don't know if she is ready to or even wants to." B chewed on the inside of her lip for a moment. She looked John over. He seemed a little disappointed in her response. "It wouldn't hurt if you asked her out on a 'platonic' date though." She smiled up at him. "At least I don't think it would."

He smiled and nodded, "This is just between us, ok?"

"Oh course, Cena. My lips are sealed," she assured him.

"Thanks B," he hugged her. "I'll see you for COC." With that, he turned and left to go get ready.

Meanwhile, Mollie was running around the arena passing out scripts and schedules. She was semi-casual today in work pants and a WWE polo shirt. She opted for flats instead of heels because of the errands Vince had her running through the day.

Sighing she looked at the two remaining scripts in her hands. Brooklyn and John. Smiling to herself, she headed for the Divas locker room. She knew John was in the meeting regarding his opening with Stephen (Sheamus).

In the locker room, Mollie found Brooklyn lounging around with curlers in her hair. The blonde looked up when she saw her red headed friend enter.

Brooklyn smiled brightly. "Well hellooo!" She cooed setting her phone aside. "Where have you been stranger?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've just been busy." Mollie sighed.

"Is everything alright?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yeah. Like I said, busy." Mollie smiled.

"Fibber, but I'll drop it." Brooklyn laughed and took what Mollie was handing her.

"I'll just tell you and save you the trouble, you're in a tag match with Alicia and Maryse. Gail is your partner." Mollie explained.

"Bummer. Nattie and I want to go at it so bad." Brooklyn pouted childishly.

"Not a chance with this Uso/Tamina gimmick." Mollie laughed. It was the first time she had laughed in a while.

"So what are you doing tonight?" Brooklyn asked.

"Probably the usual. Schedules then bed." Mollie stretched out a moment on the couch.

"Oh. Well if you're interested the girls and I are going to do pizza and a movie in Eve's room after the show." Brooklyn invited.

"I appreciate it hun, I do, but I've got a lot of work to do." Mollie replied. She stood, John's script still in her hands. "You better get dressed soon. COC is an hour before the show." She looked at her watch then back to B. "I'll see you in the morning for breakfast?"

"You got it!" Brooklyn winked.

As Mollie walked out, Stu walked in.

"Hello Mollie. B." Stu smiled.

Mollie just nodded and looked back at Brooklyn with a wink. She knew her friend liked the new rookie. As she hunted for a certain blue eyed wrestler, Mollie thought about dating and how she wasn't sure if she was really ready for it.

"Mollie!" She heard her name being called, removing her from her thoughts.

Turning on her heel, she saw Teddy and his wife Kristin walking quickly up to them.

"Hey, I'm glad I found you. Mollie, this is Kristin, my wife. Baby this is Mollie, the Godsend I've told you about." Ted laughed as the girls greeted one another and shook hands.

"Ted has told me so much about you. It's a pleasure." Kristin smiled at her.

"Same here. It's nice to have fellow Mississippians around." Mollie smirked. "If you'd like, we could grab some coffee or something and watch the show."

"That'd be nice. Thank you." Kristin smiled.

"Great. Just as these guys get ready to head out, I'll wait for you in catering." Mollie smiled. "But if you'll excuse me, I've got to get John his script."

"Oh of course hun." Kristin waved and Mollie left.

She found Cena in his locker room looking over something. She knocked and he welcomed her in.

"Here's your stuff for tonight." Mollie hesitantly handed him the papers.

"Thanks." He smiled warmly. He felt a little nervous around her all of a sudden.

"Not a problem." Mollie replied.

"So, same time same place?" John asked with a wink.

"Always." Mollie rolled her eyes. "I've got to go. I need to make sure Brooklyn is ready for COC. See you later. Have fun tonight." She laughed and left.

After COC and a brief creative meeting, Raw clicked away. The opening with John and Stephen was hilarious. And it was announced that the two would go at it at the Money In The Bank pay per view in a steel cage match. After that there was a no contest ending to The Hart Dynasty and the Usos with Tamina. And Mollie had to agree with Brooklyn, it would be nice to see her and Nattie go at it for a bit. Time would tell though. Kozlov, Marella and Regal had a brief moment in the ring followed by Mark Henry and Stephen for the WWE Title which Stephen won as his amazing character Sheamus. The NEXUS, sans Stu for he was supposed to be at WWE Global, interrupted Steamboats speech on his DVD by beating up some Legends. Mollie hated that deal with the NEXUS and Legends. It was so sad to her. She and Kristin happily cheered on Brooklyn as she paired with Gail against the current Divas Champ and Maryse. Unfortunately, Brooklyn and Gail lost. The main event of the night is what Kristin was looking forward to. It her husband, Edge, Jericho, and The Miz up against the remaining Raw Money In the Bank ladder match contestants, Randy Orton, Evan Bourne, John Morrison and R-Truth in obviously an 8 man tag match. Randy won and climbed the ladder, but he was still dealing with his shoulder injury and an added neck injury from a previous house show the night before. He had only wrestled for two minutes tonight.

"Well that was short lived for him." Mollie laughed as she watched Randy give Teddy an RKO on the replay.

"He'll have a migraine before bed." Kristin laughed. "Thank you again for the company. I hate watching Maryse with him. Kills me."

"No problem." Mollie hugged her. The girls exchanged numbers and emails with the promise of keeping in touch before Kristin excused herself to find Ted.

Mollie took that time to gather her things up and head back to the hotel so she could shower and get situated downstairs before meeting up with John like the usually did. It was the only time they met this way on his schedule. Each Monday night, in the hotel bar or restaurant after he'd come back from the arena. They'd go over work and slightly talk about his personal life and it'd be that.

She made it to the bar first, ordered herself a Coke, and grabbed a table. She spread out all of her paperwork, put on her reading glasses, and got to work. A few minutes later, she saw John walk in and begin surveying the room for her.

Her heart quickened as she laid eyes on him. Even though she was sure he was tired and had a rough evening, his blue eyes were practically dancing. And she was happy to see him.

"Hey there," John smiled as he sat down at the table.

"Hey yourself," she said with a warm smile. "Sit down."

He sat down with a heavy sigh and a bottle of water. Mollie looked at him from over the top of her glasses.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Just wore out. That's all," he said.

"I've got a couple of things for you to look at. Mainly just some telephone interviews with a newspaper and a radio station," Mollie began.

"I think I can handle that," he replied.

"WWE Studios are going to release some publicity stills from Legendary as well," she continued. "Here they are." She handed them to John for him to review.

He glanced over the pictures and handed them back to Mollie. As he did, he noticed an indention around the ring finger of her left hand, obviously where her wedding and engagement ring once were placed.

She smiled as she gathered up the pictures, "You clean up pretty well, Mr. Cena."

His dimpled smile made her melt right there in her seat. "Thank you."

"So, is there anything else you need me to make sure is handled?" Mollie asked.

John thought and shook his head no. He knew their conversations had been more business related than when they first met lately. "You know, I've noticed that you've been really short with me, we're all business than the past. I haven't offended you or said something have I?"

"What? Oh, no!" Mollie answered. "I've just been really busy. When I came on board, you and Brooklyn were already champs so it was a decent ride. Now, I have two new champs and two new insane appearance schedules."

"Oh. Good. And you're alright, right? I mean, nothing's wrong?" John asked.

"Yes, John." Mollie giggled. "I'm fine. Vince likes to over work, but I'm okay." She smiled at him. Gosh, if Ben hadn't hurt her so bad, she really liked John.

"Oh. Okay good. 'Cause you know… uh, if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here for you. You're a good person and a great friend." John winked with a crooked smirk.

"Thank you." Mollie truly appreciated the gesture.

It was awkwardly silent between the two for a moment.

"Do you want to go out sometime?" John blurted.

Mollie almost choked on her sip of soda. "Wh…" she coughed. "What?" She tried calming herself.

"I'm sorry," he backtracked. "That came out totally wrong."

"It's ok," she laughed. "I just don't know quite how to answer it. John, I just got out of a really bad relationship and I don't know…"

She stopped before she finished the sentence. Ben's face popped into her head – the abuse, the fear – and she paused, rethinking her answer.

"You know what?" she asked, "I say yes. But, it would have to be just a couple of good friends going out and having a good time right now. Deal?"

That was the best news John had heard in a long time. "I'll call you and we'll figure out the details."

"Sure," Mollie smiled.

John looked at his watched and realized he needed to go. "I've got an early flight. I better head on." He got up, paid for his and her drinks, and came back to the table. He smiled, "Thanks Mollie." Then he turned and left the bar.

Mollie's heart was racing, but this time it was out of happiness and not fear. Even though it was just friends, it would be nice to go out with a guy who really seemed to care.


	12. Chapter 12 The First Date

A/N: Thank you…thank you…thank you for all of the kind words on this. It's definitely not just me. It's also my partner-in-crime SoCalStar529. We are so happy that you guys enjoy what we do. We're a team, no matter who comes up with the story idea. It's not my story or her story, it's our story. Just remember, as always, we own nothing but Mollie & Brooklyn. Thanks again! The Team

One week had gone by since Mollie agreed to go out with John. Both of them had been so swamped with their respective schedules that they barely had time to talk and make plans. When Mollie arrived in Nashville that morning for Raw, she had enough time to check in at her hotel, freshen up, and run back to the arena for her weekly staff meeting.

Meanwhile, John arrived at the arena with an extra spring in his step. He hated that he hadn't had a chance to call Mollie and make some formal plans but this helped him plan his surprise.

_Flashback_

_The house show was over and most of the crew was dispersing from the arena. John and Randy had been victorious against Edge & Sheamus in the main event. All four men were packing their gear and getting ready to leave the arena when John's cell phone rang._

"_Yeah, thank you so much man. I owe you big time for this. Let me know when you want tickets to Raw," John said with a smile. "Thanks. Bye," he concluded as he hung up the phone._

"_What's that smile about?" Adam asked._

"_Oh nothing," John smiled. "Just getting the hookup for something in Nashville on Monday."_

"_What?" Stephen asked._

"_It's a surprise for a friend," was all John would say. _

_Adam and Stephen gave up on trying to get any further with John, but Randy knew he would get the answer._

"_So, what gives?" Randy asked._

"_What?" John looked at him._

"_You know what… You've been moping around here since you're deal with Liz and now you're practically skipping," Randy pressed. "What's the deal?"_

"_I asked Mollie out," John finally caved._

"_Really…and what are you planning for her Monday in Nashville?"_

"_B told me she really likes country music, so I arranged an after hours tour of the hall of fame," John replied proudly._

_Randy laughed, "Good for you, man. She's going to flip."_

"_You think so?"_

"_Oh yeah," Randy replied. _

"_Good because I've been out of this game for way too long. I don't really remember how to date." John chuckled._

"_It hasn't been that long." Randy noted._

"_Uh, yeah, I was 19 or 20. I'm 33." John groaned at the sound of his last real date that didn't involve his ex wife being thirteen years ago._

"_Okay, so you might be a little rusty." Randy clapped him on the back. "I've got your back and you know Brooklyn is around too." He laughed._

John rolled his eyes remembering his conversation with The Legend Killer. Then he frowned when he thought about the conversation he had with Orton just a day or two ago.

_John and Randy were getting ready to call it a night. John was getting more excited as Monday approached and Randy called him out on it._

_"John, have a seat man. Let's talk." Randy sighed. _

_John raised an eyebrow at Randy's tone, "Ok. What's up?"_

"_I know you've got this date coming up with Mollie Monday night, and since it's been so long since you've been out there I thought I'd sit you down and have that talk with you."_

"_What talk?" John asked._

"_That talk…" Randy smirked._

"_God…Randy…" John huffed and got up._

_Randy erupted in laughter, "What's the matter, Cena? I thought you might need a refresher course!"_

"_Dude, you are pathetic…" John laughed._

Shaking his head at the thought for a final time, John found his locker room. He grumbled when he saw Brooklyn in there waiting on him. _'Now what?'_ He thought.

"I'm not going to lecture you," she giggled, "like Randy did." Then laughed. He glared and she turned serious. "But I'm telling you now, even though it's one date, you break her heart, I'll kill you."

"B..." John chuckled.

"I'm serious you big nerd." Brooklyn sighed. "She's just, this is going to sound horrible but, she's a fragile butterfly okay."

"I know. But see, we have a common ground, Brooklyn. We've both gone through it." John commented.

"Every situation is different, and yet it's the same. It still sucks," B tried to explain without giving too much away. "She's been through a lot."

John chuckled a little. "We're just friends Brooklyn." Then he sighed. "I like her, but I don't think either of us are read for something serious, so a snails pace is what it is."

"Good." Brooklyn smirked. She playfully slapped him on the chest. "Now, I've got to go see a certain Brit about dinner after Raw." She winked and walked off with a smirk.

John just laughed and rolled his eyes. Out of all the Divas, he would have to say that Brooklyn was his best "girl" friend. And it was obvious that Randy was his best buddy on the roster. "She is something else." Shaking his head, he started to ready himself for Raw.

Meanwhile, Mollie was just leaving her staff meeting when she bumped into Randy knocking her to the floor.

"I feel special," Randy laughed. "I thought you only bumped into Cena."

"Yeah…yeah…yeah," Mollie replied. "Whatever…"

"Speaking of the Meathead, I hear you two have a date," Randy continued.

"No…not a date. Just two friends going out," Mollie corrected him. "Well, going out sometime. We haven't even planned anything yet."

"I'm sure Cassanova will come up with something," Randy smirked. Then his expression changed, "He's been through a lot, Mollie. I know you'd be good for him."

"I know. But to be completely honest, I don't think either of us is ready to jump into something." Mollie sighed. "But whatever we do decide should be fun, I suppose."

She hadn't told many people about her situation, but she knew she could trust Randy. "You know, Randy, he's not the only one that's had it rough. I just got divorced, too."

Randy was a little taken aback at this revelation. "Really?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "It was bad. Very bad. I had to leave."

"Well, I'm sure you did what you had to do," he said. Mollie didn't offer any details on exactly how bad it was, and Randy didn't ask. He could tell by the clouds rolling through her bright green eyes that it had to be really bad.

"Does John know?" He asked.

"Not that I'm aware. But it could be a common ground to talk I guess." Mollie smiled. She checked her watch. She needed to find Brooklyn and then pass out the scripts once they were hot off the press. "As much as I would love talk, I have to find B and get her butt over to COC. I'll see you when I have to hand out scripts."

"See you then." Randy smiled.

Mollie made her way hair and makeup and was relieved that B was almost finished. She looked at her winded friend standing at the door.

"Why the rush?" Brooklyn asked nonchalantly.

"You would have to cut it to the last second," Mollie laughed. "Come on girly. You're gonna be late."

"I'm sorry," apologized Brooklyn. "I kind of got sidetracked," she said with a goofy smile.

"Do I wanna know?" asked Mollie.

"I have a date with Stu after Raw," she squealed.

"Wow…that's awesome B," Mollie replied with a smile, thinking of her own date to come with John.

"I know…and by the way, when are you and John finally going to go out?"

"Soon…we just don't have anything planned yet," insisted Mollie, laughing at how her love life was now the talk of the locker room.

Just before Brooklyn and Mollie headed into the conference room where they'd meet the COC guests, John managed to catch up with them at the door.

"Hello ladies." He smiled and winked at Mollie.

She giggled a little. "You're such a goof. Hi, by the way." She rolled her eyes.

Brooklyn just smiled and walked into the room with Mollie behind her, but John gently grabbed Mollie's arm.

"John..." she looked at him curiously.

"Don't leave after Raw. I have a surprise for you," he smiled at her and then put on his game face as he entered the room.

Mollie just smiled and shook her head. _Of course he'd surprise me, _she thought and got to work with Brooklyn and John in COC.

Mollie always got choked up watching the Circle of Champion meetings. John was always the main attraction, and it was clear that he got as much or even more out of the meetings than did the kids. She watched his interaction with the kids and the smiles he brought to their faces, and occasionally he'd look over and give her a smile.

Her heart raced at the possibilities of what he had planned for later that night. He was a celebrity with connections galore, so he could have anything planned. But, she also thought he might be the type to do something very low key. Whatever it was, she knew she'd have a great time. She was already ready for Raw to be over.

And it quickly was.

Before she knew it, she was litterally pacing in Brooklyn's locker room in anticipation.

"You are going to wear a hole in the floor." B laguhed as she changed for her date with Stu. "This look okay?"

"Stunning as always." Mollie sighed after her compliment on Brooklyn's cute top and jeans with heels. "And I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm actually nervous."

"Nervous?" Brooklyn grabbed Mollie by the hand and sat her down on the bench with her. "It's John. There is nothing to be nervous about."

"It's John Cena we're talking about here. One of the most charismatic people in the world. I'm your average small town girl." Her accent was thick.

Brooklyn laughed a little. She let Mollie's worries go and smiled. "Stay right there real quick." Seconds later, Brooklyn returned with her make up bag. "Close your eyes." Mollie raised a brow but obliged. Not even five minutes later, she opened them upon B's request. "Even more gorgeous."

"I hope you didn't make me look like a clown." Mollie had always thought she was decent when it came to her make up skills but after seeing how Brooklyn made her green eyes pop more than she ever could, Mollie had to laugh. "You're hired."

"It's all natural coloring my love and with some mascara, which you just need to touch up, you're glowing." Brooklyn winked.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this," Mollie sighed.

"Of course you are," Brooklyn assured her. "You're a strong beautiful woman that deserves a prince. John may not be your prince, but he may very well be. You'll have to get out there and see for yourself."

"You're right. Thanks B." Mollie hugged her.

As the girls embraced, there was a knock on the door and Brooklyn hollered for the person to enter. It was John. He'd obviosuly come for Mollie. Dresed in a nice pair of jeans and a clean white tee, he stepped into the Divas locker room.

"Hey. You ready to go?" He asked Mollie.

"I guess so." She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said to Brooklyn and walked out with John.

"Do you have anything you need me to take off of your hands?" John asked as he and Mollie walked towards his rental car. His gym bag was slung over his shoulder. Mollie had her briefcase done the same way while her purse was hanging from her arm.

"I'm good. Thank you though." She replied.

Once they made it to the rental car, John took Mollie's bag from her and placed it into the trunk with his. He opened her door for her and moved around to his side. Once they pulled out of the parking lot, Mollie broke the silence.

"Nice job out there tonight." She smiled at him from her seat.

"Thanks." He smirked. He couldn't help but look her over. She was in her heels and her work pants with a pretty purple top. She looked gorgeous to him. Yet he thought she probably would look gorgeous sporting a potato sack as well. "So, I've arranged for a special tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame."

"That's my surprise? Are you serious?" Mollie smiled happily. She'd never been there before but had always wanted to go. "Wait, how'd you know I liked country music?"

"I had a little help." John laughed and gestured with his finger and thumb.

"I see." Mollie giggled.

It wasn't long before John pulled into the parking lot for the Hall of Fame. Like a child in a candy store, Mollie stepped out of the car grinning.

"I'm really excited." She told him.

"Good. Me too." He matched her excitement with a small chuckle and the two of them headed towards the front doors. They were met by someone who looked really familiar to Mollie.

"Mr. Stuart," John smiled, "I'd like to introduce you to my friend Mollie Garrison. Mollie, this is…"

Mollie interrupted, "Marty Stuart, oh my goodness. What an honor!"

It was the one and only Marty Stuart. Marty, also from Mississippi, was an accomplished artist and champion of the Hall of Fame.

"It's great to meet you Mollie. I'm always happy to meet fellow Mississippians," Marty smiled. "And when John called I jumped at this chance. I've got a great nephew who's a big fan of yours."

"And I'll hook him up with tickets anytime," John assured him.

"Now this, my dear, is the Country Music Hall of Fame. You're going to get a special tour. Not everyone gets to see this stuff," Marty winked.

"This is just…wow…" Mollie was amazed. John looked over at her and was so happy his surprise was a success. Sometimes being a celebrity did have its perks.

John and Mollie followed Marty as he took them through the many exhibits, explaining the history of each one. Marty also told many personal stories of people he knew personally that were enshrined in the hall. Mollie, who always carried a camera with her, made sure to snap plenty of pictures. Marty even offered to snap one of John and Mollie together. It was one she would always treasure. She also told John "thank you" about a million times. John just smiled at each one.

"Mollie, I hope you've enjoyed this," Marty said as they came to the end of their tour.

"Marty, you have no idea. This is just so amazing. I've listened to country music all my life, but a place like this makes it come alive and feel so much more real," Mollie smiled.

"That's definitely what we're going for," Marty replied. "John, it's a pleasure."

"Same to you, sir. Thank you," John said as he shook his hand.

"You're both welcome. Call us next time you're in town," Marty said as he bid them farewell and disappeared into the back.

"John, wow, I can't thank you enough." She said. "This was, just... amazing."

"Great, now the next date is going to have to top this." He laughed.

"Next date?" Mollie asked with surprise.

"I'm sorry...that's what I get for assuming," John apologized.

Mollie thought for a moment. Then she smiled. "You just better make sure it's a good one."

John smiled and put his arm around Mollie's shoulder as they walked to the car. Mollie looked up and him and walked closer. For the first time in a very long time, she felt safe. John was a very good friend and she was very appreciative to have him in her life.

They got back in the car and headed to the hotel. John pulled up at the hotel and got out. He ran around the Mollie's side and opened the door for her – again, something she wasn't very used to being done for her.

She got out and they walked into the hotel. As they passed the hotel bar, she had a thought.

"You know, I really don't have anything I need to go over with you tonight," she said, motioning toward the bar.

"I guess I took up that time tonight," John replied, a little nervous. "When do you fly out tomorrow?"

"Not till lunch. You?" she asked.

"Early…but I'll live," he replied. "Let me at least walk you to your room."

"Ok," she nodded. They got in the elevator and made their way up to Mollie's floor. They got out of the elevator and walked the few steps to her room.

"This is it," she said, nervously as well. "Thank you for such an amazing time tonight. This has got to be the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

"Thank you for agreeing to go. I had a great time," he smiled. He wanted so bad to give her a kiss goodnight, but he didn't want to scare her away. His heart was literally racing a hundred miles per hour.

Without even thinking, he reached out and pulled her into an embrace. They hugged for a moment, and as he pulled away he took her right hand and kissed it.

"I'll see you later," he said with a wink.

"Bye," she replied with a smile. Then she opened the door and walked inside her room. "Wow…" she said to herself. This had to be the sweetest date she had ever been on in her life. She knew not to even look at her cell phone because Brooklyn had for sure overloaded it with texts asking about the date. She'd have to wait till tomorrow. For now, she was going to take a shower and get ready for bed while relishing the smile that John Cena had left on her face.


	13. Chapter 13 Not Again

A/N: We are truly honored at the wonderful reviews we've received so far on this story. Thank you so much. But I feel like I need to take an opportunity to say something: This story is extremely loosely based on my first marriage. I have him in mind when I think of Ben. But, I was never physically abused. If you are in a relationship where you're being physically abused, get out. There are places that can help you. There…I said it. Now, remember that we don't own anything but Brooklyn & Mollie. Thanks! The Team.

In their respective rooms, Mollie and John woke with smiles on their faces thinking of the night before. Mollie got up, stretched, and looked at her phone. It was filled with texts from Brooklyn.

_So…how was it?_

_Please! I'm dying to know how last night was._

_Answer your phone!_

Mollie laughed at the persistence of her friend, so she dialed her number. Two rings and Brooklyn answered.

"About damn time!"

Mollie yawned, "I'm sorry. I had a late night."

"Oh, and is your date over yet?" B asked with a chuckle.

"Yes…how about breakfast and I'll tell you all about it?" Mollie asked.

Brooklyn thought for a moment, "Give me 30 and I'll meet you downstairs."

"Yes ma'am," Mollie replied and hung up the phone.

In Cena's room however, he couldn't help but foolishly grin. Randy stepped out of their bathroom and rolled with laughter.

"Just by the look on your face, I take it last night went well. You were out pretty late." He joked.

"We had a really good time." John said honestly.

"I guess so." Randy chuckled. "I'm going to head out. I've got an early flight home to see my girls."

"I'll see you on the road man." John nodded at his buddy as he walked out of their room.

John lay back against the headboard of his bed and sighed contently, "Now to top it. And when?" He nibbled on the inside of his cheek as he thought about what to do. He quickly glanced at his clock and huffed. "Time to go." He said aloud as he sprang from bed to shower and get ready to fly out.

As he showered he thought about the night before and how much he enjoyed seeing Mollie's eyes light up as they walked through the Hall of Fame. Then it occurred to him, 4th of July was coming up and fast and he'd be home for the holiday.

_Nah, too soon._ He thought. But he did think it would be cool to give Mollie a taste of what Boston had to offer on America's birthday. Soon enough, maybe next year, he thought, highly positive that they'd still be seeing each other that long.

_Don't get too far ahead Cena. One day at a time, h_e sighed and shut the water off. _What to do, what to do?_ he pondered. _Monday we're in Kentucky, there's gotta be something to do there. I wonder if the races are going on?_

As he continued to plot and scheme, he smiled as he picked up his phone to text his date. By now he was dressed and finished packing up his stuff.

_Had a gr8 time last night, fly safe, I'm outta here. I'll call you later!_

_As Mollie got in the elevator, she heard her phone ding. It was a text from John. She smiled as she read it. She then replied with a text of her own._

_Thank you for a wonderful night. Be careful. TTYL_

_Mollie had arrived downstairs to find her friend waiting on her. She greeted her Diva friend with a hug._

_"Hey lady," Mollie smiled._

_"Hey yourself," Brooklyn replied. "You look happy and well rested."_

_"B…we had a great time. And nothing happened," Mollie insisted._

_"Ok…ok…I'll stop insinuating. So, what did you do?"_

_Mollie replied, "As if you didn't know. Let's get breakfast first and then I'll fill you in."_

_The two girls sat down and ordered breakfast. Then Mollie filled in her friend on her wonderful date._

_"I had been to Nashville as a child before, but I had never been to the Hall of Fame. You could feel the history when you walked in the door," Mollie described._

_"I bet it was amazing," laughed Brooklyn._

_"And John was such a gentleman. Last night was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. And I have you to partially thank for it."_

_Brooklyn laughed, "Oh honey. It was all him. I just gave him a few pointers and hints."_

_"No, I mean I was scared to death to go but you gave me the confidence. Thank you," said Mollie._

_"You're welcome. You deserve it," smiled Brooklyn._

"So, are there hopes for a second date?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yeah, there are." Mollie smiled. "When, i don't know, but I did tell him I would go out with him again."

"Let the courting begin!" B smiled. "So, what are your plans when you get back home?"

"Work. I have some things I'll need to handle in the office but the R&R after that I'll be looking forward to. I still have boxes that I've never unpacked."

"What? Girl, you've been on Stamford for what six months? If that?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yeah, well I've been busy." Mollie laughed. "And speaking of busy, what about your date with Stu?"

"This isn't about me honey, it's about you." Brooklyn winked.

"That bad huh?" Mollie chuckled.

"What, oh no, we had a great time. We went to dinner and jus talked. He's a cool guy so far. I'm just cautious. He's a rookie, and I'm slightly reeling towards veteran status, so...I don't know, I just don't want him to like me for the wrong reasons." Brooklyn smiled warmly. "He's a good kisser though."

Mollie laughed. "Are you getting a little red over there, B?"

Brooklyn laughed as well, "Well, maybe a little."

The girls laughed and caught up with each other as well as going over B's weekly schedule. Mollie wasn't going to be out on the road with the Raw crew during the house shows, so she wouldn't see any of them until next Monday in Lexington, KY.

Back in Mississippi, Ben was just waking up. The factory had just laid him off along with about 25% of the workforce, so this was his first day without employment. He got up from bed and knocked over the empty Jack Daniels bottle sitting on the nightstand. He didn't care though. He didn't care about anything anymore. The only thing that consumed his thought was bringing Mollie back home.

Then he heard a moan from the other side of the bed. He looked over his shoulder to see the naked brunette stretching from under the covers. It was a girl named Danielle. She once worked with Mollie. She always had her eye on Ben, but she respected Mollie enough to wait until they were divorced.

"Good morning," she said.

Ben didn't answer. He got up from the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Danielle got up and followed him in. Ben had put on his boxers and stood at the sink, splashing cold water on his face.

"I said good morning," she said again.

"Hey…" was his response.

"Last night was…amazing," she purred in his ear.

He didn't say anything at first. He turned around and looked into Danielle's bright green eyes. Those eyes only reminded him of Mollie.

"I think you need to leave," he spat.

"But I thought since…" she tried to say before being stopped.

"Get out…" he yelled.

This startled Danielle, so she grabbed her clothes and got dressed quickly. Ben stayed in the bathroom. Once Danielle was dressed, she walked back in the bathroom.

"You know, Mollie was right about you."

Ben's blood began to boil. He turned around, grabbed Danielle by the wrists, and forced her against the wall.

"What?"

"I…I…" Danielle whimpered as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Get out of here…" he ordered her once again. This time, Danielle grabbed her things and left his house as quickly as she could.

As the screen door slammed, Ben walked out of the bathroom. Danielle sped away from the home as fast as he could, but Ben didn't even hear her leave.

_I'm not a monster, _he thought to himself. He came into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

His mind drifted back to the last time he saw Molly. That night at the Fed Ex Forum. She looked so beautiful as she walked to her car. He just wanted to talk to her. Try and convince her to go back home with him and try it again. She didn't have to be such a bitch to him.

Then he remembered where she worked. _She probably works at their home office, _he thought. So he got up from the couch and walked to his laptop. He got online and googled WWE, finding their website. Then he found the address for the corporate office.

Meanwhile, Mollie was just exiting her rental at the airport in Nashville. She dreaded the flight only for the pure fact that she was sure she had piles of work to do at WWE Global. Once checked in for her flight and seated on board her plane, Mollie hunkered down for a few moments of extra rest. She undoubtedly would be putting in a few extra hours tonight.

Touching down in Stamford, Mollie looked for her driver who would take her back to the office and she was soon off. Thanking him kindly for the drive once back at her office, Mollie left her driver as he had promised her that her luggage would be in her car once she was ready to go home.

She tossed her purse into the spare chair in front of her desk and sighed as she flopped into her own. While she waited for her computer to boot up, she checked her messages and sifted through her written memos piling them into the urgent ones, important ones and those that could wait. As she signed into her computer, her cell phone rang.

"You have impeccable timing." She laughed as she answered.

"I'm just good at estimating." John chuckled from his end. "Are you settled?"

"Yeah. Just went through my voicemails and now I'm logging into my computer." Mollie kicked her shoes off and scooted forward more towards her desk. "Are you in Tampa?"

"Layover in Atlanta." John sighed. "Getting ready to board soon though."

"That sounds like fun." Mollie joked. They started to chat back and forth about different things, mostly memories from their date the night before until a knock on Mollie's office door interrupted them. "John, hold on just a second." She asked for the person to enter and it was a delivery man with some flowers. She signed for them and smiled, figuring they were from John. "Okay, I'm back."

She listened to him continue their conversation as she opened the card. As her eyes skimmed the note, she lightly gasped. She remained silent for some time until John repeatedly calling her name snapped her into reality.

"Uh, John, I'm so sorry to do this, but I'll have to call you back."

"Ok…" he replied. "Bye."

She didn't even say goodbye when she hung up the phone. She read and reread the note, just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

_Mollie,_

_I just wanted to say I love you. I'm sorry for everything that has happened. Please come home._

_Love,_

_Ben_

Mollie's heart fell into her stomach. She sat down in her chair and looked at the note in her trembling hand. _He knows where I am, _she thought.

Without even really thinking about it, Mollie quickly picked up her cell and speed dialed Brooklyn. _Please be home, please be home,_ Mollie prayed.

"To what do I owe this pleasure my love?" Brooklyn joked as she answered the phone.

"Brooklyn..." Mollie's voice was filled with fear.

"Oh my God, what's wrong?" Brooklyn asked. "Are you okay? Is John okay?"

"He knows where I am…he knows where I am," Mollie kept repeating.

"Who?" Brooklyn asked.

"Ben…" Mollie whispered.

"How?"

"He sent flowers here to my office. I thought they might have been from John but they're from Ben," Mollie explained.

"Oh my God…" Brooklyn said to herself.

"What do I do?"

"Gosh, I wish I wasn't on this house show schedule. I'd come stay with you. Is there anyone that can stay with you?" Brooklyn suggested. "Or you know, I mean can you come back out on the road? You know freshen up and catch the next flight out? We're home for two days then it's house shows Friday, Saturday, Sunday."

"I guess I could do that," Mollie thought to herself. Those boxes would have to stay unpacked at her apartment for just a little while longer.

"Besides, I know a certain WWE Superstar who'd be glad to see you," Brooklyn added.

"I've gotta call him back," Mollie remembered. "How about I fly on out now? Spend a couple of days with you in Cali?"

"YES!" B exclaimed. "I'll take good care of you."

"I'll see you then," Mollie said. "Bye..."

"Bye...call me if you need anything," her friend said.

Mollie hung up the phone and called back John. He quickly answered the phone.

"That was fast," he smiled.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I had a fire I had to put out."

"That's ok. So, how are you going to spend your days off?" he asked.

"Actually, I think I'm coming back out on the road with you guys," she replied. "After I go to Cali and spend a couple of days with B."

"Really..." he said. "What brought all this on?"

"Oh, just a whim," she lied.

"I'll be glad to see you though," he admitted. "But now I've gotta scramble to come up with this second date."

Mollie smiled at the thought of going out with him again. "John, you don't have to try and impress me. You'll learn I'm a simple, jeans & t-shirt kind of girl. I'm good with anything."

John lightly chuckled at her comment. 'Oh really.' He thought. "Uh, so I guess I'll see you in a couple days?"

"See you on Friday." Mollie smiled.

"Good. We'll figure something out to do either this weekend or after Raw on Monday, that is if you still want." John stated.

"Of course. I did say I'd go out with you again didn't I?" Mollie laughed.

"Good point. I'll see you soon. Bye Mollie." He smiled through the phone.

"Bye John." Mollie smiled as she hung up, forgetting all about the note. She took Ben's flowers and tossed them in her garbage can. "The night cleaning service can have those." She dusted her hands off and went back to work on her computer.


	14. Chapter 14 On the Road Again

A/N: I am totally overwhelmed at the response to our story. You don't know how much we appreciate the wonderful reviews. Remember as always, we own nothing but Mollie & Brooklyn.

Mollie's plane touched down at LAX early the next morning. She didn't tell anyone at work about the incident with the flowers. She only left word that she would only be available via phone or email for the next couple of days. Brooklyn was waiting on her at her gate.

"Mollie!" Brooklyn yelled to get her attention. Mollie heard her friend and smiled. It was good to hear a familiar, safe voice.

She replied, "Hey B," and hugged her friend.

"Are you ok?" B asked.

"I am now…"

The two girls made their way to Brooklyn's white with tan leather interior BMW 335is convertible and headed down the highway to her condo in Santa Monica with the top down.

B skillfully swung her car into her garage and they got out. Mollie grabbed her bag and the girls walked inside. The home literally took Mollie's breath away.

Brooklyn's condo was an understated elegance, a quiet refuge and located right on the beach with amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Pier. Mollie gasped as she looked around the place.

The panoramic views continued to leave her gasping for air while the intricate interior designs and avant-garde architecture were nothing short of spectacular. A private glass elevator waited to whisk Mollie away to all levels of the condo. There was a top of the line Italian kitchen with stainless steal countertops, lavish bathrooms with privacy glass windows, complete home automation, private media room and a wine cellar.

"Come, I'll show you the roof." Brooklyn giggled. Mollie, with her jaw hanging to the floor followed the Diva by the hand.

A spacious rooftop terrace awaited them and Mollie thought it was as a veritable outdoor haven equipped with private whirlpool spa and custom-made modern fire pit.

"Your house is just beautiful!" gasped Mollie.

"Thank you!" replied B. "It took a lot of hard work, but I finally got my dream home. John gets jealous sometimes when he visits. His house is by far bigger than mine!"

"Wow." Was all Mollie could say.

Brooklyn laughed. "Come on, I'll show you your room. Then if you're not too tired, I've got plans!"

After Mollie took a short nap and settled herself into the guest room with the ocean view, she and Brooklyn hit the town. While Brooklyn wore big sunglasses and her hair in a ponytail with her short and tube top, Mollie made sure to lather the sunscreen on and sat shot gun in the BMW as B showed her Hollywood, the famous sign in the hills and the Walk of Fame. They even joked around Vince's star for a bit. Brooklyn showed her all the Los Angeles hot spots including the Ghraman's Chinese Theatre, the Pantageous, the Nokia Theater, Staples Center, and Rodeo Drive before talking a walk on the Santa Monica Pier just before sunset so Mollie could say she stuck her feet in the Pacific Ocean.

Sitting up on the roof with sparkling waters and the Jacuzzi, Brooklyn asked Mollie what she wanted to do before they went on the road.

"I have no clue! I never imagined I'd see all that I have in just one day!"

"Well what do you say to me treating you, and yes my treat no arguing, to a day at a spa?" Brooklyn winked.

"I couldn't possibly let you do that. Technically you're my boss and you've done so much for me already." Mollie shook her head 'no'.

"Nonsense. I am not your boss, that's Vince and Steph. I'm your friend, and really you're my closest thing to a sister I've had. I mean that Mollie. So, as my treat, you're getting a touch up and a spa day." Brooklyn smiled.

"A touch up?" Mollie questioned.

"Your red locks are about to become even redder and to add to that a mani, pedi, facial, eyebrows...a whole make over. Sometimes makeovers are the best types of medicine!" Brooklyn stated excitedly. "Now, tell me about what all happened with the horrid man."

Mollie went on to explain from start to finish how she met Ben, got married and when everything went downhill. By the time she was through, Brooklyn wanted to kill him herself. Surprisingly Mollie felt a lot better now that she could talk to someone about the problems without being judged. Someone was on her side. And it was about damn time too.

"Now I really think tomorrow is going to be a load of fun!" Brooklyn stated.

The girls soon retreated to bed and were able to sleep in the next morning. Their spa day felt rejuvenating and Mollie was given the star treatment.

"Well what do you think?" Mollie asked of her new 'do. It was cut in a blunt bob all the way around and flat-ironed as straight as a board. She had a darker red shade of color which brought out her green eyes.

"You look amazing! You're definitely going to knock John's socks off even more." Brooklyn winked. While her makeover wasn't extreme or anything like that, being dolled up in the Hollywood fashion with a celebrity stylist team did give her a new star in her eyes.

"I hope he just sees me for me still." Mollie worried.

"Don't worry, he will." B smirked. "Now come on, let's have a late lunch then head home to pack.

The girls hit up a pizza place nearby and then went back to B's condo to pack. After getting backed, they went up to the roof once last time. The peacefulness of the ocean really calmed Mollie's nerves. Mollie came totally lost in the motion of the waves.

Brooklyn, who could almost read her mind, said, "He's not going to hurt you again."

"How did you..." Mollie asked, turning to her.

"It's written all over your face. He's not going to hurt you again."

Mollie sighed, "I wish you were right."

"I know I am." Brooklyn nodded affirmatively.

Mollie just smiled hopefully and the women proceeded to just enjoy the serenity of the evening.

The next morning, bright and early, the two women were escorted by a black sedan to the airport. It wasn't too long of a flight, but the girls did enjoy their last few minutes of freedom before the chaos of work would kick in.

Once they had safely landed in Lexington, Brooklyn and Mollie collected their things, heading for the hotel. Once settled, this time sharing a room, the girls needed to separate. Brooklyn had an appearance and Mollie was left to her laptop and answering her emails that she'd left unattended for the most part.

As she got settled into her seat at the table in their room, Mollie's phone vibrated.

_Are you here yet?_

Mollie laughed a little at John's text.

_Yes, in my room, working._

_Good. I'll see you tonight. _

_Sounds good._

Mollie knew John was busy with a couple things this morning and she took refuge in the thought that she could get work done and try not to think about their second date that was quickly approaching.

By the time Brooklyn arrived back to the room, it was nearing that moment when they needed to head out for the house show.

The two women rode together with Eve and Gail, having a laugh the whole way there and gossiping. When they arrived, Mollie and Brooklyn set out to find where she'd be changing.

"So, have you seen John yet?" Brooklyn asked.

"No, but he's texted me a couple times." Mollie giggled.

Brooklyn had however seen Cena and could only smile at how happy he seemed that Mollie was going to be on the road with them for the next couple of days. She did, however, neglect to mention the fact that Mollie was going to look a little different by the time he'd seen her again.

As the girls sat and talked while Brooklyn got ready, there was a knock on the locker room door.

"Come in!" Mollie and Brooklyn both said together with a giggle.

The door opened and in walked a man dressed in orange. A bright smile was plastered to his face and it seemed to grow even wider when he looked at the object of his desires.

"Wow." John smiled. "I like it."

Mollie blushed bashfully as John complimented her now vibrantly red hair and sculpted locks. "Thanks."

"So, you ladies seem well rested. Did you have a good time?" John asked sitting next to Mollie on the couch.

"We had a blast. I showed our girl here the Hollywood tour." Brooklyn winked.

"I know everyone laughs at me for being the country bumpkin around here, but I can't help it. It's the one part of the job that surprises me every day - getting to see places like this is just amazing," Mollie laughed.

"It will all start running together before you know it," laughed Brooklyn.

John watched as the two girls laughed. Mollie's eyes were dancing and shining even more with her deeper red locks.

He asked, "So did everything work out with that fire the other day?"

"Oh yeah," Mollie answered. "Everything's good."

Brooklyn knew she was lying, but she had promised she wasn't going to say anything. But she knew if this relationship with John was going to go anywhere, Mollie was going to have to start being honest with John. She decided she'd try to talk to her later.

There was another knock on the door shortly after John arrived and Brooklyn opened the door to see Stu standing on the other side dressed down in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt.

"Hi." She blushed upon seeing him.

"Hello." He smiled at her in his deep thick accent. "John, Mollie." He nodded politely. "I was dropping by to see if you want to grab something sweet from catering." he directed towards Brooklyn

Brooklyn looked back at John and Mollie whom both were looking at the Brit and the blonde. B turned back to Stu with a smile. "I'd love to."

She turned to John and Mollie with a wicked smile and a wink before walking out with Stu, shutting the door behind her.

"She really likes him." Mollie sighed.

"Yeah, she seems like it." John agreed.

"I just hope she isn't right about her own thoughts." The red head stated. John just looked at her slightly puzzled. "She's afraid that Stu likes her because she's been around for a while. She thinks that he just wants to like her for pull."

John laughed. "I don't think she has to worry about that. Vince is high on his NEXUS horse to not give any of those guys a running chance. Especially Stu. It's why he was chosen as a winner. There's high potential for that kid. He's a good guy; he's had some troubles, but who hasn't." John shrugged. "I think if it does work out with them, Brooklyn might be able to keep him a bit more grounded."

"I hope you're right." Mollie agreed. "So, slow night or are Stu and his goons going to give you hell?"

"Just at the end of the night." John replied. "Speaking of the end of the night...when would you like this date? We should have an early night tomorrow night or there is always Monday after the show." He suggested.

"We could just stick with our usual…after the show," Mollie replied.

"After the show it is," John replied. "Why did you decide to come out on the road? I know you talked about that you were ready for a few days off at home."

"Well," Mollie replied, "I can't say that I didn't have ulterior motives." She gave him a sly smile and a wink.

"Oh really…" John said, catching on. "What might that have been?"

"Oh…I really wanted to see a certain orange-shirt wearing WWE superstar," Mollie continued to flirt.

"I wonder who that could be…?" he replied with a huge dimpled smile.

When Mollie and John locked eyes, it seemed as if time stood still. Mollie secretly hoped that John would make the first move as she didn't want to seem forward. John, on the other hand, exercised everything in his power to keep from kissing Mollie passionately. He certainly didn't want to scare her away. When John reached for her hand, Mollie snapped back into reality.

"I think you've gotta get ready for your match."

"You're right," he replied. "I'll see you after the show."

"Yeah," she said as she got up from the couch. Her sunglasses somehow fell from the top of her head onto the floor.

"I got 'em." John said and picked them up for her. He smirked as he placed them back on her head from where they fell. His hands were practically holding her face as they made their eyes lock on one another again. Both wanted to make that next move - that much was readable - yet neither wanted to make that first move for fear of rejection.

Slowly John started leaning in towards her, finally overriding his mind with his wants. Their lips were just about to touch when Randy barged in the room.

"Hey, Brooklyn said you'd be in here." He said, then noticed what he'd interrupted. "Oh, shit, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I've got to go anyway. I'll see you guys later." Mollie stuttered as she left the room.

"I'm going to kill you." John groaned at his buddy.

"I really am sorry." Randy sighed.

"It's ok," John sighed as he sat back down on the couch. "I've got to figure out what to do for this date."

"What did you have in mind?" Randy asked.

John thought, "We're in Kentucky…a day at the track?"

"You could do that," Randy replied. "I don't know, however, if that's something she'd like."

"I've got to top the Hall of Fame date," John reminded him.

"John, it's not about topping each date. Man, you are rusty." Randy joked. "Why don't you ask her what she likes to do? Or ask her to suggest something?"

"Because, this is my doing. I need to prove that I can entertain her." John shook his head.

"I don't think she's like you ex-wife, bro." Randy clapped his buddy on the shoulder. "Mollie is unique. She hasn't seen much of the world outside of her small town. I'm sure whatever you come up with would be fine."

"Yeah. I guess so." John nodded.

"Come on; let's go grab something to snack on real quick." Randy offered and the two left the room.

Meanwhile, Mollie was walking through the small arena when she heard Brooklyn laughing down the corridor. She turned the corner to talk with her friend and saw her with Stu. They seemed to be getting along well in their conversation and Mollie figured not to bother them.

But Brooklyn spotted the red head. "Mollie, wait up." She turned to Stu. "Thanks for the sweets." She winked. "I'll see you for dinner tonight?"

"Absolutely." Stu smiled and kissed her cheek before she left.

Brooklyn joined Mollie and she sighed. "What happened?"

"I thought we were gonna..." Mollie said.

"What?" B asked.

"I thought we were gonna kiss and Randy had to barge in," Mollie explained.

"That idiot..." B laughed.

"It's ok. It'll happen," Mollie nodded.

Shortly after, the show began. Brooklyn teamed with Eve and Gail in a 6 Diva tag match against Maryse, Jillian, and Alicia Fox. B and her girls won and had then posed for the crowd.

Randy had another match with Adam, which was stellar as usual. John and Sheamus battled each other for the WWE title, and John won via DQ when the Nexus came down and interfered. John got the worst of the beat down when Randy and the entire "face" locker room emptied out and chased Nexus away. John celebrated with the guys in the ring and sent the crowd home happy.

One the girls were at the hotel after the show, Brooklyn was quick to start getting ready for a late dinner date with Stu. She and Mollie chatted as Mollie volunteered to help with her hair. She curled it while Brooklyn applied her make up.

"Thanks again for the help." Brooklyn laughed. "I'd so be running behind."

"It's not a problem." Mollie smiled.

"So, did you and John decide on when you're going out again?" Brooklyn asked as she rummaged through her suitcase.

"After Raw on Monday. " Mollie answered with a smile. "We still haven't decided on what we'll be doing yet, but it'll be fun I'm sure."

"He's a man of many talents, I'm sure he'll think of something." Brooklyn said. "I'll be right back. I need to change into this." She said holing up a blue silk top and mini skirt.

Moments later, a knock was at the door. Mollie stood to get it and opened the door for Stu to come inside. "She's just about ready." Mollie welcomed him in as she returned to the couch.

"Hey." Brooklyn smiled as she exited the bathroom.

"You look lovely." Stu winked and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you. You ready?" Brooklyn asked. Stu nodded and they said goodbye to Mollie.

Mollie took pride in the peace and quiet. She hunkered down on the couch in her sweatshirt and lounge pants. She was comfortable and focused on watching Iron Man.

When that one was over, she started to watch a rerun of White Collar but was interrupted at another knock on the door. She was skeptic to answer realizing that since Brooklyn was gone it wouldn't be anyone in particular. She peeked through the peep hole and let out a breath of relief seeing a rather large man in a Springfield College alumni tee and gym shorts.

Suddenly feeling like a mess she quickly ruffed up her hair and pinched her cheeks to give them some color. Taking in a deep breath, she opened the door. "Hi John, what..."

But her words were cut off by his lips on hers. John had wanted to do that since their first date, and since Orton interrupted them earlier it was all he could think about doing.


	15. Chapter 15 Change of Plans

John and Mollie continued kissing for a few more seconds when Mollie pulled away, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry…I've wanted to do that for a while," John whispered as he planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Shhh…" Mollie said as she put her finger against his lips. "Me, too. It's ok."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled as he started to walk away.

"John," Mollie said, touching him on the shoulder. He turned around to face her once again. Then she stood on her tip toes and initiated a kiss of her own. She broke away and replied, "See you tomorrow."

John smiled and gave her a wink as he walked away to the elevator. Mollie walked into her room, practically floating on air.

Neither John nor Mollie slept a wink that night as their kisses still floating through their minds. Brooklyn came strolling in quietly near midnight before quietly hoping into bed, trying not to wake her roommate. The next morning, a wake up call startled the girls.

"I will never get used to that." Brooklyn breathed heavy.

"Me either." Mollie laughed.

"Mind if I shower first? I have the morning show appearance with the local news." Brooklyn asked as she kicked her feet over the edge of her bed.

"No problem." Mollie sighed and flopped back onto her pillow. Brooklyn smiled noticing the content change in demeanor of her friend.

Once showered and dressed, she slipped out of the bathroom to find Mollie flipping through channels in bed. A smile still plastered on her face.

"Alright, what happened while I was out with Stu last night? I don't think I've ever seen you this cheery in the morning." Brooklyn giggled as she towel dried her hair.

"We kissed." Mollie answered with sheepish grin.

"NO WAY!" Brooklyn suddenly became more interested in her friend than getting ready to leave.

As Mollie detailed the experience modestly for her new found best friend, Brooklyn couldn't help but feel like they were two young girls still in high school talking about secret crushes.

"So tonight is your date right?" Brooklyn asked. "And like, are you two, like labeled?"

"We're not labeled. But I do like him…a lot," Mollie replied.

"That's obvious," Brooklyn laughed.

"Nice and slow, B. Nice and slow," Mollie reminded her.

John was up and already at the gym by this time. He hated cardio with a passion, but today was cardio day. He diligently hopped on an open treadmill, plugged in his iPod, and began his run. However, his mind flashed back to Mollie. He was happy to know that his forward actions last night hadn't sent her running scared, but he was still at a loss at to what to do for this date. He remembered Randy's words and that Mollie would be happy with anything, but he still wanted her to have a great time. He'd have to work on it later. He had to finish his workout and start his day.

Brooklyn headed off to her appearance, leaving Mollie in the room. She finished getting ready and gathered her things to start her day. She had a teleconference with Global at the arena, meetings with a few Superstars and Divas to sort out their schedules, and then her normal pre-show routine.

She arrived at the arena and found her makeshift office area. As she was setting up her laptop, she received a text from John.

_Hey beautiful! See u 2nite!_

Mollie smiled and typed _'Can't wait'_. To say that she was looking forward to their next date tonight would be an understatement. She was more along the lines of excited and extatic. However, she was unaware that one phone call could change that mood deeply.

As she set her 'Berry down after replying to Cena's text, it began ringing. Glancing at the caller ID she saw that it was a number from home that was unrecognizable. She let it go to voicemail and when it rang again immediately after, she ignroed it again. She thought at first that it might be Ben playing games. Her number was on her business card. A beep indicated to Mollie that the caller had finally left a message.

She picked up the phone, set it to speaker and called her voicemail. Mollie logged in with her passcodes and waited for the prompter to play the message.

"Mollie," the frightened voice said. It was Danielle – Mollie's former coworker. Mollie thought this was extremely odd for her to be calling.

Danielle continued, "It's Danielle. I know you're wondering why I'm calling you. It's Ben. He's absolutely lost his mind. He got arrested a week ago for almost beating a guy nearly to death outside of Main Street Bar & Grill in Tupelo. I don't know where you are, but be careful. He's insane."

Mollie hung up the phone, haunted by the call. Part of her wanted to laugh, remembering that Ben is no longer her problem. Danielle didn't say if Ben was out of jail, however. Surely he wouldn't come after her…again.

Taking a deep breath to calm her anxiety, Mollie texted Brooklyn. 'If you're out, call me.'

It didn't take long for the blonde to return her message in the form of a call like asked. "What is the matter?" Brooklyn asked. "Can't figure out what to wear?"

"No. It's Ben." Mollie stated.

"Are you okay? Is he around you?" Brooklyn went into panic mode for her friend and prayed that her driver would hurry the hell up and get back to the hotel.

"No, I got this call from someone I used to work with back home. She said that Ben's lost his mind. He was arrested last week and she never said if he was out or not yet. I don't know what to do. I'm scared." Mollie explained.

Brooklyn took a deep breath. "Mollie, you have to tell John. Especially before something happens. What if he shows up again? And no one but me knows. God what if he... I can't let that happen."

"I can't tell him. Not when I don't even know what we have yet." Mollie sighed sadly. She was at a loss. She was fearful of how her past marriage would affect whatever she and John had going on.

"I don't know how to help." Brooklyn felt defeated. "Look, I'm almost back. Why don't you get ready to go and we'll head out together. We've got time to at least stop by AT&T and get that damn number of yours changed. We can let Stephanie know as soon as we've done it. I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Ok, we'll do that. But you'll have to help me get the word out to everyone of the change," Mollie conceded.

"Of course I will. Let's go," Brooklyn said as she linked arms with her and they left.

They arrived back at the arena two hours later with Mollie a brand new cell phone number. Mollie called Stephanie and explained the reason for the change. Stephanie was, of course, accommodating and offered Mollie more security while on the road. Mollie accepted the offer but she put up one heck of a fight. Brooklyn finally convinced her it was for the best. Brooklyn sent out a mass text to everyone informing them of the new number.

"So, have you heard from John about tonight?" Brooklyn asked as she and Mollie just mellowed out for a few before Mollie had to head out for her teleconference and meetings.

"No. But he has a jammed packed schedule today." Mollie sighed. The whole Ben situation was weighing heavily on her still. "How was your night last night?" She asked thinking a change in conversation might do the trick.

"Good. We went to dinner and just took a walk around the hotel for a bit." Brooklyn answered.

"You guys seem to be hitting it off well if you're out so late." Mollie winked.

"Yeah, I guess so." Brooklyn shrugged. "But enough about me. What's the plan for tonight's show? Have you heard yet?"

"Hardly." Mollie shook her head. "I'll probably get the scripts just after this conference call.

Brooklyn nodded. A knock at the door brought the girls conversation to a halt. "Come in." Brooklyn called out.

A man in orange and a tall Brit walked in once the door opened.

"Hi there," Mollie smiled.

"Hi there ladies," John smiled. Brooklyn and Stu exchanged flirtatious glances.

"Got a minute," John asked Mollie.

"Of course. Let's go to catering. I'm starving," Mollie replied. Then she turned to Mollie. "I'll holler at you later."

Stu and Brooklyn said, "Bye," and Mollie and John left.

"You look rested." Stu observed as he sat down on the couch.

"I am." Brooklyn smiled. "Thanks again for last night."

"My pleasure." Stu winked with a gentle smile. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're so beautiful." Brooklyn blushed. The two leaned in closer and their lips met. At first, their kiss was slow but the moment Brooklyn allowed him access to go deeper, Stu took advantage. Their kiss became deep and passionate, igniting a flame within each of them.

Stu took Brooklyn by the waist and pulled her to his lap, allowing her to straddle him. She wrapped her slender arms around his thick neck. She lightly moaned when his hands started running up and down the length of her back.

As they continued their heated exchange, a moment of doubt suddenly flooded Brooklyn's mind. She removed her hands from his neck and placed them on his chest, pushing him slightly, breaking their kiss.

"Stu…" She breathlessly said.

"Hmm?" He hummed. She observed him with a curious eye. His lips were swollen and he was trying to control his breathing. His eyes were boring into hers.

"Can we uh, shit…." Brooklyn sighed and stood from his lap.

"B, what's the matter?" Stu asked.

"I really like you. We've been friends for a while and since you started on this brand, we've grown closer right?" Brooklyn started. Stu nodded. "And I mean like the sweet things here and there are great and the couple of dates we've been on have been amazing. I just…"

"Out with it Brooklyn." Stu pushed.

"I like you and I really want to like you more but I have to know if you're just using me to get even higher up?" She let out before her brain could process the information.

"What?" Stu seemed stunned at her inquiry. "Brooklyn, if I wanted to get higher on Vince's scorecard, I would have been trying to seduce Cena or Orton." He laughed to add good measure.

Brooklyn stood stunned and folded her arms across her chest letting him know she wasn't finding his attempt at a joke even the slightest bit funny.

Stu stepped closer to her. "Brooklyn," he unfolded her arms and held her hands, "I like you. And no, I am not using you. I promise you that."

Brooklyn sighed. She really wanted to believe him. She had to believe him. "I haven't dated in a while. It's hard for me to trust people."

"I know. You've told me that." Stu took her hands and again wrapped them around his neck for her. His hands then slipped to her waist where they held her there. "I promise you can trust me. I won't hurt you. Or I'll do my best not to." She nodded as she looked up at him. "In fact, since we haven't been dating long, what do you say we go out again tonight?"

A small smile crept across her features. "I'd like that." She said softly.

"Good. We'll have a nice dinner and catch a late movie?" Stu offered.

Brooklyn nodded. "Okay." She bit her bottom lip slightly embarrassed over their previous conversation.

"Now, where were we?" Stu lightly chuckled in his hearty accent and leaned in to kiss her again.

John and Mollie sat down at catering after grabbing a light snack. Mollie grabbed a bag of pretzels and bottle of water while John settled for a bottle of water and an apple.

"Mollie, about tonight..." John began, "I've been so swamped I haven't had a chance to..."

Mollie smiled, "Honey, it's fine. You don't have to impress me. Heck, you knocked my socks off in Nashville." Her mega-watt smile made John melt in his seat.

"How about a late dinner?" he asked with a smile of his own.

"See, that sounds great," Mollie replied. "Just find me after the show and we'll figure out where we can go. I don't have scripts tonight for the show. What's gonna happen?"

John shook his head, "Not sure myself yet. I'll find out in the meeting. I just know I have to face all of Nexus minus Fred."

"I still can't get over the fact that his name is Fred. Poor guy." Mollie joked.

John laughed. He really enjoyed her sense of humor. "So, what do you think Brooklyn and Stu are up to?'

"Ha, I don't know. But I don't think it what you assume." Mollie giggled. John couldn't help but smile. She made him feel like a kid in school again.

"I wasn't thinking of that." He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, what's on your agenda for the rest of the afternoon?"

"I have a conference call in..." Mollie looked at her watch. "Crap, five minutes. I'm sorry I gotta go." She stood from the table and pecked John's cheek causing him to blush a little. "I'll see you at the production meeting."

"I'll save you a seat." John winked and watched her walk quickly out of catering and turn the corner.

When she was gone, John heard a voice behind him. "You've got it bad." Orton said as he approached his friend.

"Come on, we've only gone out once." John tried to hide his smile. He knew Randy was right. He really liked Mollie, a lot.

"Ha, yeah, but I don't think I've seen you smile this much in a while." Randy chuckled. "Good for you man."

"Thank you." John nodded in agreement. He looked at his phone and sighed. "Time to meet with the Big Boss. I'll catch you later man."

"Later." Randy nodded at him and Cena left the Legend Killer to play on his cell phone.

John went to his meeting with Vince while Mollie sat in her conference call. Mollie was given several appearances for the Superstars at the upcoming Comic Con as well as a couple of appearances for John with Gillette. In the meantime, John was instructed on the direction of his Nexus storyline.

Everyone then made their way to the production meeting, and John saved Mollie a seat just as he promised. They sat next to Brooklyn, Randy and Teddy. The details of John's match with Nexus as well as Randy involvement in Money in the Bank and Teddy's feud with John Morrison as well as the lower card matches were laid out for the night before calling it quits just before show time.

Brooklyn and Mollie departed for hair and make up while Randy left to talk skematics on his match, leaving Cena to chat with Stu and the rest of NEXUS as well as Stephen regarding the little details for their drag out.

Once the show was underway, Mollie took up residence near the gorilla to watch the show click away. Scene after scene, promo after promo, match after match, Raw moved forward. By the time Cena's deal aired, Mollie and Brooklyn were sitting together watching and waiting for their men to head out.

"Is he going over?" Brooklyn asked.

"He didn't tell me, but I don't think he will. I mean, he is Super Cena but 6 guys?" Mollie reminded her.

"Yeah, you're right," B laughed.

John was ultimately defeated by Nexus, but he didn't stay down for long. As Nexus descended on him John jumped to his feet, punched Stu, got out of the ring and grabbed a chair. As he got back in the ring, Mollie and Brooklyn noticed something odd.

"Is he bleeding?" B asked.

Mollie's heart jumped at the sight of blood trickling down John's face. "How did he get cut?" she asked.

"I have no idea, but it's a good thing the show is over. He's got a dark match with Randy against Stephen and Adam," Brooklyn replied.

"I'll go check on him. I know you've got a date, so you go on and start getting ready. I'll talk to you later and let you know what happened," Mollie told her, getting up from her chair.

"Ok love, I'll be waiting," B said as she hugged her and headed out.

Mollie found John in the trainer's room. He was sitting on the table with the staff looking him over. "What in the world happened out there?"

"It's nothing. Just a little busted up." John chuckled. The EMT working on him stepped aside and Mollie saw stitches.

"Nothing?" Mollie raised her brow.

"Ten stitches." The EMT said and walked out.

"You'll walk out last now." Mollie informed John. He nodded and stood. "You know we can cancel tonight and do it again some other time."

"Mollie," John smiled, getting up from the table, "I'm fine. I promise."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yes," he assured her. And he got up to head to his dark match with Randy. The match was treated as a 2 on 1 handicap match until John ran in to make the save. After the match, he went backstage and got a shower. Mollie finished up her paperwork and waited on him to change. When he came out of the locker room, Mollie could tell he wasn't feeling well.

"How's the eye?" she asked.

He replied, "The eye is fine. My head is what's killing me now. Can we…?"

"Say no more," she said. "We'll reschedule."

"No…no…no…I'm not in that bad shape," he laughed and then cringed. "How about room service and a movie in my room?"

Mollie thought for a moment. She was a bit apprehensive about spending time in John's room…alone. Maybe this was the time she needed to talk to him about her past.

"Sure sweetie, but I'm driving," she answered.

"Yes ma'am," he replied with a smile.


	16. Chapter 16 Too Far?

A/N: Thank you for the amazing support on this story. You don't know how much we appreciate it. Remember we own nothing but Mollie & B. Signed – The Team

John and Mollie arrived back at the hotel about 15 minutes later. As he gathered his gear, she typed out a text to Brooklyn.

_10 stitches. Change of plans on the date._

"B?" John asked as they made their way inside.

"She'll be worried about you if I don't." Mollie replied.

John nodded as the two of them made their way inside the hotel and up to John's room. John was rooming alone on this trip, in which he and Mollie were both thankful. He sat his gear down and plopped down on the bed.

"Ugh," he uttered.

"What's wrong?" Mollie asked.

"Headache," he answered. "It will be okay. I'm going to take a shower. Would you mind calling room service and ordering…say a pizza?"

"Sure sweetie," Mollie smiled. John retreated to the shower while Mollie ordered a pizza. Not being sure of what toppings to order, she ordered a cheese pizza and a couple bottles of water.

John finished in the bathroom just in time for the food to arrive. Mollie had already made herself comfortable by throwing off her uncomfortable shoes and sitting in the easy chair. John enjoyed watching her for a moment. She made herself right at home, and he loved having her nearby.

"I didn't know what kind you wanted so I got cheese," Mollie told him, snapping him out of his daze.

"That's great," he smiled and then winced again.

"Did the shower not help?"

"It'll be fine," he told her. "I'll just have a scar."

"Scars add character," Mollie joked.

"Ha, yeah. We're going three for three now then." John lightly chuckled as he sat back on the bed. He was referring to his neck scar, his triceps scar and now the one he'll have once the stitches over his eye heal.

"You were pretty good out there tonight." Mollie smiled warmly. "Well, until you started spewing blood." She laughed.

"Thanks." He sighed. "It's just another day at the office." He joked.

A few moments of silence passed between them until John realized they were so far apart.

"You know, this couch is pretty lonely over here and a man can't eat pizza alone." He smiled warmly at Mollie as he patted the bed beside himself.

Mollie got up from her chair and met him on the bed. They sat together and began pigging out on the pizza.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"I am now," he smiled. "What kind of movies do you like?"

"Anything but horror," she laughed. "I love action flicks."

"Really?" John asked with a curious smile.

"Sure!" she answered. "I grew up watching more westerns and action flicks than anything." John was getting more and more hooked every second.

John found one of his favorite movies, "Talladega Nights," with the OnDemand Service, so the two of them snuggled in to watch.

A good ways into the movie, Mollie found herself wrapped in John's arms comfortably. They had devoured the pizza and seemed satisfied. John was watching the film but enjoying the feel of Mollie's warm body molding to his. She just seemed to fit with the structure of his own body like to puzzle pieces snapping together. He was drawing lazy circles on her back as she occasionally would gaze up at him and smile warmly.

At one particular part, the part where Ricky Bobby was getting his divorce from his wife, John scoffed. "Been there, done that." He chuckled.

Mollie sat up beside John and turned to him. "John, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," he replied, sitting up as well.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, but I just haven't…" she trailed off.

"Mollie, you can talk to me. What's wrong?" he asked.

She took a deep breath and blurted it out. "I'm divorced, too."

He didn't let on to Mollie that he knew this fact already.

He smiled a little. "Mollie, why would you not want to tell me? It's nothing to be ashamed of, at least I don't think so...anymore. Hell, you knew I was going through it. You could have told me. I wouldn't have judged." He reached his hand out to cover hers. "I'm here for you baby. It sucks and it's the pits, but I'm here for you." He chuckled a little. "Here I am thinking that you just went through a shitty break up with a boyfriend."

Mollie was so relieved to know that John didn't care. But she still didn't feel comfortable telling him the whole story.

She sighed, "I know…I guess it's just because I felt like such a failure. I never expected to go through a divorce."

"It's of course something we never plan on, but you play with the hand you're dealt," John reminded her.

"It was bad," she explained, "and that's how I ended up here, with the WWE." She fought back a tear.

John put his arm around her and pulled her close. "You don't have to explain anything to me. If you say it was bad, it had to be bad. In the short time I've known you I can tell you're probably the strongest person I've met in a while. You have a take no prisoners attitude, and you don't let these big meathead superstars run over you."

"Did you feel like a failure?" Mollie asked.

"Baby, you know I did." John sighed. "How nights did I rant to you?"

"A lot." Mollie replied.

"What was so bad about it that you hauled ass from Mississippi to Connecticut?" John asked, genuinely curious.

Mollie got up from the bed and walked over to the window. She sighed. John stayed on the bed and watched her. He could see she was fighting through some heavy emotions.

"John, let's just say one gets tired of being used as a punching bag," she blurted out.

John's blood began to boil. How could someone ever hurt his Mollie? "He what?" he asked.

Mollie broke down. She sat down at the table near the window, buried her head in her hands and cried. It was the first time she had really and truly broken down in the few months since she left Ben. Every punch, every slap, every moment of living in fear poured out through her tears.

John rushed up from the bed and pulled her in close to his chest. She quickly soaked his t-shirt with her tears. He continued to hold her, slowly stroking her back.

"It's ok," he whispered. "He's not going to hurt you anymore." Mollie didn't say anything but in the back of her mind she wondered if he was right.

"Just promise me John," Mollie whispered as she looked up from his chest into his blue orbs, "promise me you'll never hurt me."

John took a free hand and cupped her face. He gently kissed her lips and pulled away. "Never in a million years." He whispered back.

Mollie stood on her tip toes and crashed her lips into his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. John was a bit surprised by her forward actions, but at the same time he didn't pull away. These are the moments he had fantasized about since he first laid eyes on Mollie.

Her kisses got deeper, more needy. When she began pulling at the hem of his t-shirt, he broke away from the kiss.

"Mollie..." he whispered.

"I need you," she replied.

That was all John needed to hear. He graciously took Mollie by the waist, picking her up as her legs instinctively wrapped around him, bringing their bodies close. Mollie continued the assault on John's lips with deep, needy kisses as he carried her back away from the window to his bed. Gently he laid her back and Mollie's legs let him go.

John removed his lips from hers and started trailing kisses down her jaw line to her neck, down her neck and back up to her lips all the while working at removing her shirt. Their lips only parted a second time for John to remove the piece of clothing. He looked down at her as his arm steadied himself over her. He traced the contours of her face softly with is index finger as his hand went from her temple along her jaw, down her neck, between the valley of her bra clad chest and down her stomach until he gripped a her waist. His smooth, light touch sent chills through Mollie to her deepest core. Goosebumps prickled her milky skin as his warm breath covered her.

"You're so beautiful." John whispered as he enjoyed her flesh at his fingertips. He had imagined what she'd look like under her clothes but never thought they'd get here so fast. But he wasn't going to second guess it. She had made the first move.

Mollie's eyes were already clouded with ecstasy and she leaned up to John, latching their lips together again. This time her kisses were of less need and more passion.

John gently pressed his weight against her as they continued to kiss. Mollie's fingers met with the hem of his shirt again and this time, John spoke nothing as she pulled the fabric over his head and discarded it to the floor of the hotel room. Her fingers ran along his washboard abs causing him of elicit a slight moan from the back of his throat and chills to shiver his spine.

His hand that was at Mollie's waist moved to the button and zipper of her work pants. Like and experienced pro at making love, John single handedly unbuttoned her trousers and slid the zipper down to its end. He ran his hand over the curve of her bottom as he removed the black pants.

Meanwhile, Mollie's dainty hands were working on John's shorts and when she freed him from the confines of the jean material; it didn't take long for those to hit the carpet too. But John stopped her there as his kisses now carried down from Mollie's lips to the valley of her breasts, where he sweetly tasted the exposed skin.

Mollie arched her back causing him to nip a little at her sweet, tender flesh. She reminded him of sweet cream. Tasty and smooth. The arch Mollie allowed in her back gave John the chance to unclasp her bra setting free his first prize. As he tasted her there for the first time, Mollie gave a gasp. It was almost too much to handle as John's warm mouth enclosed on the hardened numb of her nipple.

Once he'd finished giving her feelings she'd not experienced in a while, John's lips carried farther down Mollie's body to just above her panty line, his tongue dipping so gently into her navel it gave her spine a tingling sensation. John watched her as he freed her from the confines of her panties.

Her eyes were full of lust, passion, and pure ecstasy. Her cheeks were flushed from the spine tingling feelings he gave her and her lips swollen from their kisses. He sensual sinful smirk appeared on John's lips as he started kissing, nipping and licking his way back up to Mollie's lips. This time he gave her a passionate kiss. Mollie moaned into him and wrapped her slender arms around his neck, pulling him in deeper.

In the midst of all this, John had disrobed from his boxers and now the two were skin on skin. He loved the feel of her creamy skin beneath him and the contrast that his slightly tan skin gave the two a night and day look. Mollie reveled in how tight and toned his body even felt against her petite frame as they continued to kiss.

They pulled apart, breathless, and John searched for a sign of regret amongst her green eyes. When he found none, he smiled only slightly and took Mollie's silence and kiss as the 'yes' answer to move forward.

Slowly, he slipped into her and immediately Mollie felt full to the hilt. Her back arched at how good it felt to have him inside of her and the contours of her insides suited John nicely. Her warm center was ready for him as he started to slowly, gently move in and out of her. With each move she gave him more and more of her while he whispered the sweetest words in her ear.

John devoured her as he continued to make love to her and by the time they were both ready for each to reach their limits, Mollie was moaning and whispering for more. When release came, both were satisfied and once their breathing had steadied, John gently pulled away and laid next to her, taking her into his arms.

A slight sheen of sweat and romance covered their bodies as they lay in bed beneath the cool hotel sheets. John would speak softly to her and Mollie would respond with a kiss or a light smile as they enjoyed the other's warmth and comfort.

Mollie and John fell asleep in one another's arms near dawn, their night of sensual passion replaying in their minds as they drifted into slumber.

Morning came, and Mollie opened her eyes. She blinked a couple of times and then remembered where she was and what she had done the night before.

_Oh my God…_she thought.

John had one arm draped over her waist, so she ever so delicately slipped out from under his weight. She grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. John was still sleeping soundly and didn't know she was awake. She gathered her other things and walked out the door, flooded with regret.


	17. Chapter 17 Gotta Face Facts

John opened his eyes when he felt an unusual chill. He reached over and found the other side of the bed empty. He sat straight up in bed.

"Mollie?" he yelled.

When he received no answer, he got up from bed and looked in the bathroom. He was alone.

"What the hell?"

What could have happened? He immediately grabbed his phone and sent Mollie a text message.

_Good morning. Where did you run off to?_

Meanwhile, Mollie stood in front of her hotel door. She prepared herself for the barrage of questions from Brooklyn. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Mollie heard the shower running and knew that B was getting ready for her day. Mollie waited for her interrogation.

Brooklyn walked out of the bathroom and noticed Mollie's sullen mood. "Well…well…well…what happened last night?"

Mollie looked up at Brooklyn, fighting back tears. B changed her tune.

"Mollie, what's wrong?" she asked. "I was just joking with you. I didn't mean anything."

"I…we…" Mollie stuttered. "John and I…"

"You what?" Brooklyn asked. Then she understood what Mollie was implying. "Oh…"

Brooklyn could tell that Mollie was overwhelmed and distraught. "Come sit down and talk to me."

Mollie just walked with her friend to the edge of Brooklyn's bed where they sat. Mollie held her head low, almost shamefully, with her hands in her lap while Brooklyn held a protective arm around her shoulders.

"It obvious that you two slept together, but honey, what are you so upset? He didn't hurt you did he?" Brooklyn asked. She just couldn't see John hurting Mollie. Not ever. He cared for her too much.

"No..." Mollie replied. "I...just...I shouldn't have done it."

"Why?" Brooklyn asked.

"I'm afraid of ruining this relationship," Mollie finally admitted. "I care for him a lot, and now we've done this. Every relationship I've ever had has been ruined by sex, and it will happen again.

Mollie looked like she was on the verge of tears. Brooklyn looked at her best friend and just wrapped her fully in her arms. "Sweetheart, you can't think like that. Oh my gosh, no, no, no, no. This is not going to be like that. I can promise you. Look at me." Mollie matched her watery eyes to her friends. "John cares too much for you, sweetie. He would never ever... I don't even know what you're thinking would happen."

"I just left him." Mollie now became horribly embarrassed.

"Mollie..." Brooklyn exclaimed.

"I didn't know what to do. I was just...I don't know," Mollie replied.

"You'll have to talk to him. He's going to be worried," B warned her.

"I can't...and don't you say a word about this to anyone. Even Stu..." Mollie pleaded.

"I..." B stammered before being interrupted.

"Promise!"

B sighed. "I promise."

"I...I just need time to think." Mollie sighed and stood from the bed. "You have a busy day, B. I'm just going to shower and work from here for the day."

Brooklyn nodded. "Mollie," she grabbed her hand gently, "take your time to think, but you can't ignore him forever. He's going to be confused and hurt, just as much as you are right now."

Mollie half smiled and gave Brooklyn's hand a gentle squeeze before heading for the bathroom.

John had just finished getting ready back in his room, waiting to hear from Mollie. He had sent her a couple of text messages and even called to leave her a voice mail. Nothing yet. He couldn't understand why she left without saying goodbye. She would have at least left him a note or something.

He took a shower and gathered up his things to head to the airport. He had a mid-morning flight back home. He hoped he'd find Mollie before it was time for him to leave. Then he spotted Brooklyn headed to the elevator.

"B!" he yelled from down the hall.

Brooklyn looked around and felt her heart hit the floor. She had no clue what she was going to say to John when he asked about Mollie.

"Morning John." Brooklyn half smiled. "What's up?"

"Have you seen Mollie?" John asked quickly.

"Uh, no. I was at Stu's last night and when I got back to the room this morning, her stuff was gone." Brooklyn lied. She thought she could see John's heart crush when the words left her mouth.

"Like totally gone?" John looked for clarification.

"Yeah. Her luggage was gone and I hadn't seen her. I'm sure she's fine. She probably just had a meeting or an early flight back to Stamford. Why?"

"Uh," John wasn't sure if he should tell B about his amazing night with Mollie or not. "I was looking to have breakfast with her before she left." He now lied.

"Oh, well have you tried calling her?" Brooklyn asked as they stepped inside the elevator.

"Yeah. I get her voicemail. And he hasn't returned my texts." John's shoulders slumped.

"I'm sure she's just on her way back home and forgot to tell you." She continued with her fib just as the elevator hit the lobby. The doors opened and fans were all around.

"Maybe. Thanks B." John put on his game face and stepped out of the elevator and Brooklyn followed suit.

'I hope she talks to him soon.' Brooklyn thought as she smiled for a picture with a fan.

Mollie finished in the shower and sat down at the hotel desk to work. She had a late afternoon flight back to Connecticut for a meeting with Stephanie. Then she panicked. What if word of her tryst with John got back to Stephanie or Vince? Even though Stephanie was the queen of dating the talent, she didn't know how she'd react.

Mollie opened up her laptop and started her paperwork. She looked over at her phone and noticed several messages from John.

_Mollie, call me please baby._

Mollie, is something wrong?

Please call me. Text. Anything!

She smiled sadly at the message. She had just spent the most amazing night with a wonderful man who really seemed to care about her. He'd never lay a hand on her. She wouldn't have to live in constant fear as she did with Ben. But she was so scared that this would change their relationship in a bad way.

She never replied to John. In fact, Mollie didn't respond to anyone aside from Stephanie and she worked on emails and schedules up until the hour before her flight left. And when her mind wasn't sucked into spreadsheets and calendars, she flooded her thoughts with what to do about John.

Mollie never meant to run out like she did, she just panicked. An overwhelming fear took over her from way out in left field and she bolted. Now, she was completely embarrassed and ashamed of how she just took off. There was no way to really fix this and she wasn't sure how to approach the situation with Cena either.

By the time Mollie landed in Stamford, she was even more exhausted from over thinking than she was from the flight. She asked her driver just to take her home instead of heading to the office.

It was late in the evening by the time Randy had gotten the chance to call his buddy. He had come home, immediately spent time with his daughter and when she went down for the night, he took the time to check in with John. Sam was in the laundry room folding some laundry, so Randy took up a seat in his office.

"Mollie?" John answered.

"Uh, Randy." Randy chuckled.

"Oh, hey." John sighed.

"Dude, what's the matter?" Randy asked. He sensed the let down in John's voice when it wasn't his favorite red head on the other end. "You just left her a few hours ago."

"On the contrary, she left me." John's words had a double meaning and Randy picked up on it right away. Nearly ten years of friendship would do that to you.

"What the hell happened? Did your date go that bad?" Randy was full of questions.

"We ended up just going to my room and ordering pizza. We talked and watched a movie and she ended up staying the night." John's voice held a sad tone.

"Did you guys..." Randy implied. John's silence on the other end answered the Legend Killer's question. "Okay, so if that happened then what's the problem?"

"I don't know. I woke up and she was gone. And I mean gone. Like hit the road gone and I haven't spoken a word to her since we fell asleep last night." John ran a hand over his face. "Brooklyn said that when she got back into their room this morning all of her stuff was gone."

"And you haven't heard from her all day?" Randy asked again.

"No. I've called, I've emailed, I've sent texts. Nothing." John was lost and confused.

"Hmmm." Randy thought. 'What the hell scared her?' "You guys moved kinda fast. Maybe it freaked her out."

"She wanted it just as bad as I did. There's something else that did it and I have no clue where to start figuring it out." John sighed.

"Give her a day or two. I'm sure she's trying to figure out the same thing." Randy tried reasoning with him. "Don't bombard her either. Just relax."

John nodded, "You're right. It's just…"

Randy finished his sentence, "…weird, I know. Did she tell you she was divorced?"

John replied, "Yeah, but I already knew. B let it slip one day. I don't know why she was so worried about it."

"Well," Randy said, "again she's from a small town. Everyone in small towns knows what you're doing before you do. It was probably more embarrassing than anything."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll wait till this weekend and talk to her while we're out on the road." Changing the subject, John asked, "What's going on with you?"

"Just put Alanna down for the night. Sam's doing my laundry," Randy replied.

"She's a saint, man," John laughed. "You've got a good one."

Randy could hear more sadness in his voice. "Mollie will come around. I'll let you go and talk to you later."

John replied, "Bye man."

Once Cena hung up with the Legend Killer, he was all sighs and sadness. He had no clue what went wrong between him and Mollie last night. And even though he told Randy he wasn't going to think about it, he couldn't shake the thoughts either.

Back in Stamford, Mollie was on the phone with Brooklyn. Mollie did all she could to do avoid the subject of John.

"B, I got word that WWE wants to use you in the newest National Guard advertising," Mollie said.

"That's great. Have you talked to John?" she asked.

Mollie completely ignored the question. "The shoot will involve you, John, Mark Henry, and Big Show."

"Ok. Have you talked to John?" B asked again.

"B, this is work related," Mollie told her.

"BS Mollie. You're avoiding the question," shot back Brooklyn.

"No…I haven't," she finally answered.

"I hope you know I lied my ass off for you to him."

Mollie was devastated, "You did?"

"Yes…I told him you had left when you were locked up in your room. He was so hurt," she informed her.

"Don't make me feel worse than I do." Mollie sighed.

"I'm not trying to. I just wanted you to know. Maybe talking to him wouldn't be such a bad idea." Brooklyn suggested.

"I know. I just, I can't. Not right now." Mollie explained sadly.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone. But you're my friend and I'll tell you like I told him. He's my friend. Don't hurt him," B warned.

Mollie silently nodded and then their conversation turned back to business. By the time the two friends ended their call, plans were set for Brooklyn to come back to Stamford with Mollie Tuesday morning after the next Raw. Sadly though, that meant that Mollie could only avoid John for so long. Why, at this point, she was avoiding him at all was still a mystery to herself. She really wasn't sure why she took off, she just did.

It was Tuesday evening. She was due back on the road by Sunday night in order to be ready for Raw. She knew that maybe if she could get through the rest of the week, Monday would come and she'd be okay with having a heart to heart with Cena. But getting through the week would prove to be the challenge ahead.

Mollie kept herself busy in the office. She set meetings and conference calls. She tried to sign up Brooklyn for more than expected of a non-champion Diva, but Brooklyn told her that if she piled anymore onto her calendar, she'd have to split herself in two. She even met with Stephanie about some new projects on the road, and thankfully, nothing of her and or Cena came up.

John had tried to text and email her a couple of times and Mollie desperately tried to not respond.

It was strictly business until Saturday morning came around. Brooklyn called to check in and they caught up quickly before Mollie let her go and took a call from her mother back home.

"Hey Momma."

"Hey baby girl," her mother said. "How's work going?"

"Work is great. We're just really swamped right now getting ready for SummerSlam," Mollie answered.

"Where's that again?"

"It's in LA," Mollie replied.

"It's so hard to keep up where you are," her mother laughed.

"I know. I'm going to get home as soon as I can," Mollie told her. "After SummerSlam, things ought to slow down just a little bit."

Her mother sensed something in her daughter's voice, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Mollie lied.

"Really Mollie..."

"I promise. Nothing's wrong," she answered.

Her mother knew she wasn't getting the entire truth, but she didn't press the issue. She then chatted with her daughter about family matters and also planned Mollie's trip home after SummerSlam.

Come Sunday night, Mollie was back to work, this time in San Antonio, just an evening short of the rest of the roster. Mollie just prayed John didn't get any ideas and show up in the middle of the night after his house show. Raw was set for a double taping the next day so Mollie knew she'd be slammed.

As Mollie settled into her "post" for the night in her room, she changed into comfortable clothes from her business attire from the flight. While her laptop booted up, she called in room service and as she waited, she started work on her "to do's" for the next day.

Room service came and she scarfed down what she could before setting the tray into the hallway for them to come pick up. But before she could get hunkered down back into her work, a knock sounded at her room door.

She got up from her couch and walked to the door. She peered through the peephole and then opened the door.

"John…"


	18. Chapter 18 Long Talks

John stood on the other side of Mollie's door. "Can we talk?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "Come on in."

John walked into her room and turned to face her. Mollie, with her red embarrassed face, turned to him. She sighed, "I'm so sorry."

"Why?" he asked, genuinely wondering what in the world went wrong.

Her mind raced for the right answer but all that would emerge from her mouth was a quiet, "I don't know."

"There would have to be a reason." John sighed sadly. "Did I do something wrong? Was it me? Was it that bad?"

"Come...sit with me," Mollie said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the couch inside her room. "John, it wasn't you. Nothing with you at all. It's that whole 'it's not you...it's me' bit. But I mean it."

John gave her a puzzled look.

Mollie continued, "You're going to think I'm hokey and out of touch, but I panicked. I panicked because every relationship I've ever had has been ruined by sex. And I like you too much to let that happen."

Mollie took a deep breath, choking back tears, "You're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

John's heart broke at Mollie's heartache. She was terribly upset at what had happened. All he wanted to do was fix it. "Oh baby," he whispered and pulled her in close to him, holding her tightly, "don't get upset. It's alright. Everything is fine. I'm not mad, I was just worried." He kissed the top of her head. "You mean so much Mollie. I haven't had someone like you in a long while." He pulled away from her a little and gently took her face in his hands. "I promise you, nothing else will happen until you're ready."

With glassy eyes and a tear streaked face Mollie nodded and slightly sniffled. John gave her a half smile and gently kissed her lips.

"I'm so glad you're not mad at me." She whispered when they broke apart.

"Baby, I couldn't be mad at you if I tried." John winked.

Mollie stood up on her tiptoes and put her arms around his neck. "Mr. Cena, you're pretty amazing, you know that?"

"No, but tell me again," he smirked.

"Oh...I've got something for you," Mollie said, turning her attention to her laptop.

"Do tell..." he said.

"TMZ wants you to co-host the syndicated show!" Mollie said, showing him the email.

"Interesting," John answered.

"In LA in a couple of weeks. You can promote SummerSlam and your 7-Eleven cup," Mollie informed him.

"Do you think you can sneak away with me?" he asked.

Mollie thought for a moment, "I don't know. I'll have to check with Stephanie and see what my schedule is."

"I think I can make that happen," John laughed. "Come here..." He then pulled her into another hug. "Promise me one thing, ok?"

"Anything," she answered.

"If something's bothering you, talk to me, ok?"

"I promise," she replied.

Alright...

John just so happened to have glanced at the room alarm clock. "It's getting late. I should go." He kissed her gently. "I'll see you bright and early for breakfast?" He asked roundaboutly.

"I think I can swing that." Mollie smiled.

She walked with him to the door and John let himself out. But not before turning to give his girlfriend one last kiss.

"Sweet dreams baby." John said softly when they broke apart.

"You too." Mollie smiled gently and once he was down the hall and in the elevator, it was then that she retreated fully back into her room.

Stu tapped his foot patiently while he sat in the rental car. Brooklyn was supposed to have arrived over an hour ago and he hadn't heard anything from her. Aside from the lack of communication over the last couple of days, he assumed everything had been fine between them.

He was still shocked over the conversation they'd had the Monday before. Thinking back, he couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong to make her assume such things. Once Raw had gone off the air and he was showered and ready to go, he and Brooklyn talked some more over dinner and relaxed in his room and caught a movie on the television. Then Brooklyn called it a night near 2 am and headed back to her room.

'I've got to prove to her that I want this.' Stu thought. 'But how?' Stu figured he'd have to talk with either John or Mollie. John seemed to be good at thinking up ideas. However, over the next couple of weeks, he'd hardly have the time for Brooklyn. There was that double taping tonight, Brooklyn would be all over promoting Summerslam while he was to travel with the company for the house shows. Then they'd finally be able to meet up again just before Summerslam in Los Angeles. He hoped then she'd trust him enough to show him around her town and her condo.

A text message interrupted Stu's thoughts. It was from Brooklyn telling him she'd landed and was getting ready to get off the plane. He smiled and left his vehicle. He'd been waiting there since he'd arrived two hours before. It made no sense to travel back and forth between the hotel and the airport. So he waited.

Arriving at her gate, he pulled the black baseball cap lower on his head. His dark fleece pull over made his large frame slightly slender. As Brooklyn came down the escalator, she noticed how his dark blue jeans fit him nicely. They weren't tight but they weren't baggy, they were stylish and perfect. His black and gray Nikes hugged his feet.

Stu leaned against the wall watching the buxom blonde descend the moving stairs. He smiled crookedly as she approached him.

"Hello love." He winked at her. His accent was so thick sometimes it made Brooklyn melt. It was one of the things that really attracted her to him.

"Hello." Brooklyn smiled lightly, mimicking the British accent.

Stu let out a soft chuckle and pressed his lips to hers. "You ready?" He asked when they broke apart.

"Yeah. It's just my carry on." She sighed and the two left the airport hand in hand towards his rental car.

Once she was secured in her seat and Stu had tossed her stuff in the trunk with his, they headed towards the hotel.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Stu asked.

Brooklyn sighed. "To be honest, can I get a rain check? I just want to go to bed. It's so late and that delay just added to the exhaustion."

He pressed his lips to the back of her hand as the GPS directed him where to go. "Of course."

The ride to the hotel was silent and Stu helped Brooklyn to the front desk where she received her room key to the one she was sharing with Mollie. Together, the two headed into the elevators and once they were on Brooklyn's floor, Stu walked with her until they reached her door.

"I'll see you in the morning, then?" He asked.

"Yeah. Breakfast?" She countered with her own question.

"Absolutely." Stu leaned in and kissed her lightly. Brooklyn had a half smirk when they broke apart. With a wink, Stu started for the elevator as Brooklyn slipped her key card into her lock.

The next morning, John and Mollie were getting ready for their breakfast date as were Brooklyn and Stu. While getting ready, Brooklyn finally had time to talk to her friend.

"Hey girl," Mollie answered.

"You sound cheerful," Brooklyn smiled.

"I am…" Mollie replied. "I have breakfast with John shortly."

"John? I'm assuming you talked to him?"

"Yes…everything's fine. It was just a big misunderstanding," Mollie explained.

"Good," Brooklyn breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, and I've got a change for you about the National Guard photo shoot," Mollie said, changing gears. "It's going to be everyone on the Raw roster, so the gang will be there."

"Where is it going to be?" B asked.

"Stamford."

"Good," Brooklyn laughed, "we'll all crash at your apartment."

"Yeah, that means you might have to sleep in the bathtub!" The girls laughed and chit chatted more and made plans to meet up at the arena later for the tapings. They bid each other farewell and headed out to their respective breakfast dates.

Brooklyn met Stu in the lobby and the two headed immediately towards valet. Once his car arrived, Stu took Brooklyn to this little hole in the wall cafe about fifteen minutes from the hotel. He'd heard about it from a few of the other guys that knew the area.

"I like little places like this. They always seem quieter." Brooklyn smiled as they scooted into a booth.

"I thought it'd be far enough from everyone." Stu added.

They quietly gazed over the menu and each decided on a light meal since anything heavy would render them useless later. As they sipped on coffee and juice, Brooklyn sighed.

"So how's this whole angle with John going?" She asked.

"Busy. It's about to pick up for Summerslam. Tonight should be interesting." Stu chuckled.

"So I hear." Brooklyn smiled.

"Let's not talk about work." Stu smirked. "Let's talk about us maybe spending some time together this week."

"Uh, okay." Brooklyn smirked. "I'd like that."

"Well, what about doing something while we're in Florida. I mean we have a few shows there and then it's off to LA." Stu said.

"Uh, yeah, we could do something. I'm game for whatever." Brooklyn nodded in agreement. Spending time with him sounded like fun. "Maybe when we get to LA I can show you around like I did Mollie."

"I think I'd like that." Stu leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"Well be uber busy with Summerslam stuff but my place isn't far from the Staples Center that is if there is no traffic." Brooklyn laughed uncomfortably. Even though she made the offer, she was still apprehensive in their relationship. She liked Stu and didn't want things to get fouled up.

"I think we have a plan then." Stu winked. Brooklyn nodded. "And you know, speaking of going home..."

"Hmm..." Brooklyn hummed.

"When we go to Europe on November, I'd like to take you to see my mum and dad." Stu offered.

"Uh...wow... are you sure?" Brooklyn questioned.

"Brooklyn, of course. They want to know who my girlfriend is." Stu chuckled.

"G..gir..girlfriend?" Brooklyn stammered.

"Yes, you're my girlfriend. You don't see me with anyone else now do you?" Stu tucked her hair behind her ear. She shook her head. "Good."

Just then the waitress brought their food and the two got to eating.

Meanwhile, Mollie waited on John downstairs at the hotel restaurant. She was dressed comfortably in a purple t-shirt, white linen capris and brown flip flops. She threw her hair up in a loose ponytail. She had already gotten a table and was busy answering emails on her Blackberry when she saw John come in. He made his way over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"Good morning," she replied.

"Sleep well?" John asked as he scooted in next to her.

"Much better than I have the last week, thank you." Mollie grinned.

"Good. Have you spoken with anyone about taking some time to go to LA with me?"

John asked as he glanced over the menu.

"Not yet but I will," Mollie told him.

"Wait just a second," John said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

Mollie raised an eyebrow, "Who are you calling?"

John didn't answer. He waited for the other party to answer. "Stephanie...hi, it's John."

Mollie was mortified, "John..."

John gave her a smile and wink as he put his finger to his lips to shush her. "I'm calling because I have a favor to ask. I would like Mollie to have the assignment of tagging along with me to LA for the TMZ gig."

Mollie ran her hand over her face. If Stephanie didn't already know about her relationship with John, she sure would now.

"Thank you Stephanie," John continued. "I'll see you soon. Bye."

"John," Mollie sighed.

"Everything's good to go," John reported with a huge smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Now, no more talk of work. I'm starving."

John looked at Mollie as she looked over the menu. The purple t-shirt she wore brought out her sparkling green eyes and ivory skin. He had been in talks with marketing about new merchandise, and he was struggling to come up with a color combination. Once he saw Mollie that morning, he knew he had found it.

After breakfast, Mollie and John parted ways. Mollie had a lot of work to do and John had a few appearances to get to. But while she was busy with work, Mollie could help but feel excited and nervous about this trip with John.

She contemplated what to pack, what to wear, what to do. She knew nothing about Los Angeles and aside from what Brooklyn had shown her when she came to visit, she had not clue where anything was. Just the thought of spending some decent time with him was going to be nerve wracking enough. Being with John was light years in comparison with Ben. The two being night and day was just an understatement. They were eons apart. _I'll consult with B_, Mollie thought to herself and tried to focus back on work.

Back in Mississippi, Ben woke up with a splitting headache. It had been a couple of weeks since he had been arrested for beating some punk to a pulp outside of Main Street Bar & Grill. But, he didn't stay there long. The poor guy was too scared to even file charges, so Ben was released on a technicality. However, he was still without a job and had convinced himself to just live off the unemployment.

He had also convinced himself of something else. Mollie was going to come back. She had to. He loved her too much. He'd convince her…somehow.

From his bed he moved to the bathroom and tried to steam out the hangover with a hot shower. Ben didn't even bother to fully dress once he was finished. He just slipped into what he hoped were clean boxers and sat on his couch, beer in hand.

"Now, how to get her back?" He said aloud. He sat and contemplated for a while. His hazy eyes wandered over his living room and a white piece of paper caught his eye on the coffee table. He picked up the small card and turned it over in his fingers.

His mind wandered back to the last time he saw her in Memphis. She had taken a job with that traveling circus known as the WWE. He looked the card over again and read it aloud.

_She's gotta live somewhere near there, _he thought.

He put down his beer and fired up his computer. Once it finally connected to the internet, he began searching. Ben may not have been a lot of things, but he was pretty good on the computer.


	19. Chapter 19 Flashback & SummerSlam

A/N: Thank you once again for the wonderful reviews. You don't know how much it means to me that people are so wrapped up in "my baby" of a story. Remember…we own nothing but Brooklyn & Mollie. Signed – The Team.

Mollie sat backstage at SummerSlam doing some last minute paperwork. The show was a few hours away and the preparation was fast and furious. She thought back to how wonderful the past couple of weeks had been with John. It truly seemed like a whirlwind.

_Flashback_

_After the double tapings in San Antonio, the WWE crew got the entire week off. Everyone went their separate ways, except Mollie. She boarded a plane with John back to Tampa. _

_They arrived at his home, and Mollie couldn't hide her amazement. John laughed as she stared, open-mouthed, while walking around his house._

"_It's beautiful, John," she smiled as she sat down on the couch._

"_Thanks sweets…are you thirsty? Hungry?" he asked._

"_What'cha got?" Mollie asked._

_John looked in his refrigerator and sighed. "We're going to have to go to the store."_

_Mollie laughed, "Typical bachelor."_

_After the store, Mollie cooked for John and the two had a few peaceful evenings at his place. They even enjoyed the Jacuzzi a night or two. Mollie met some of his buddies, including John's best friend from high school Rob McIntyre, who also doubles as his __strength and conditioning coach__. _

Mollie then had to leave and go back to Stamford for a few days for work. John drove her to the airport that morning.

_Flashback_

"_I enjoyed having you around the house," John teased._

"_Because I cooked for you?" Mollie laughed._

"_Yes…" he answered with a wink. "But not just that. I could get used to it."_

"_I'll have to come visit more often," Mollie smiled as she melted into John's embrace. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo._

"_I'll see you Friday at the arena," John said. Mollie then left and boarded her flight._

Later that week, the WWE had a run of house shows through Florida. The second show of the weekend swing was in Daytona Beach. During the day, John surprised Mollie with another surprise.

_Flashback_

_Mollie and John met for breakfast on Saturday morning. They pretty much had a free day until the show that night at the Ocean Center. WWE was staying across the street at the Hilton._

"_What would you like to do today?" Mollie asked. "You don't have to be back until 7 tonight."_

"_I've already got our day planned," John replied suspiciously._

"_John Cena…" Mollie eyed him._

"_No arguments Mollie," he told her._

_After breakfast, John guided Mollie to the valet area. A young man helping them at the desk soon pulled up in a red Mustang with the top down._

_"I hope you brought your sunglasses." John smirked and tipped the kid once he'd opened Mollie's door._

_In amazement, Mollie just shook her head and gave a light giggle. John had rented a brand new, 2010, burgundy Mustang convertible._

"_Wow…" she gawked._

"_It's something else, isn't it," John laughed. "I'm usually a sucker for classics, but this is beautiful."_

"_Where are we going?" she asked._

"_You'll see…" he smiled. He punched in his desired destination into the GPS, and in a few short minutes he and Mollie were arriving at Daytona International Speedway._

"_Really?" Mollie asked as excitedly as a kid on Christmas morning._

"_Yes ma'am. We're going on a private tour of the speedway and the Daytona Experience," he informed her._

"_This is insane!" Mollie laughed as the two of them got out and walked toward the center. Immediately they saw the statue of Dale Earnhardt. He had been Mollie's favorite driver up until his untimely death in 2001._

_Mollie stood at the foot of the statue and looked up and the bronze memorial. She said to John, "I loved this guy. Watching him tear through traffic passing cars left and right I swear was a thing of beauty."_

"_He was amazing. I'm still relatively new to NASCAR but ever since I met Carl and did Fast Cars & Superstars I'm definitely hooked," John said as he put his arm around her. "Here, let me take your picture."_

_Mollie got in front of the statue and let John take her picture. They made their way inside and to the back of the building. A small golf cart and one of the Speedway employees were waiting on them. He took them on a private tour of the entire speedway, which was undergoing a major repaving process. Mollie asked a ton of questions, including if there was a marker to indicate where Earnhardt crashed. They were told that the family didn't want anything to mark the area._

_After the tour, the two of them went inside to look at the exhibits. They spent the next hour or so looking at the different exhibits and taking many pictures. When they left the speedway, they put the top down and rode around._

"_This is awesome," Mollie beamed. "If this car wouldn't have a huge payment, I'd just nearly buy one!" John just laughed and shook his head. He loved so much doing things that surprised her._

Coming back to reality Mollie couldn't help the grin on her face. She knew she was with someone who made her truly happy. She had to laugh at her situation. Just a few months ago she was down and out, running for her life and now she was dying from laughter and grinning like a fool in love. The love part was too soon to tell but she definitely had strong feelings for John.

As she continued to look through her paper work for the week past and the next few days ahead, Mollie remembered her experience at TMZ with John.

_Flashback_

_Mollie and John landed at LAX late on Thursday night. John's taping of TMZ was only a few hours away, and both of them were exhausted._

_Just as they stepped outside, they were approached by a TMZ photographer. Mollie walked closely behind with her WWE staff badge around her neck in plain view._

_The TMZ guy said, "What's up John? I'm with TMZ buddy."_

_John replied, "How's everything? Alright?"_

"_What's going on man? Are you prepared and ready for TMZ tomorrow morning?" he asked._

"_I will be tomorrow morning," John assured him._

"_So John, I gotta as you dude…Did you bring your own sippee cup?"_

_Mollie laughed to herself while John asked, "What's that?"_

_He reworded his question, "Did you bring your own mug with the straw?"_

_John asked, "Like a Slurpee cup?"_

"_Like a cup," he continued. "You know how Harvey always has a cup."_

_John asked as he and Mollie made their way outside, "You guys film at like 6 in the morning right? I'll probably have a coffee cup."_

"_Cause Harvey does the sippee cup and if you touch his sippee cup he might suplex you if he finds out about it," the TMZ guy laughed._

"_You think he can suplex me?" John asked with a smirk._

"_I don't think so."_

"_I'm willing to take that match," John said as he and Mollie parked their carry on bags by the curb while waiting on their car._

_Changing gears the TMZ guy asked, "Who needs the Attitude Adjustment move in the office…in the newsroom?"_

_John replied with a straight face, "Well, I watch the show and I see, like, 'Hey, I got this guy on the street. I got John Cena coming in at the airport. Tomorrow, I get to analyze all these pieces and right now, yours hasn't been very good. So, I'm gonna check the rankings and if it is you…I know your face. I know who you are. I'll find you."_

"_We haven't been that good lately, you're trying to say?"_

_John, who was trying to bust this guys' chops, "No, I'm just saying, you know, you could have had some better questions. Could have had a better interview. You could've been more prepared."_

_The guy laughed, "That's a pretty good interview, wasn't it? You're my boss."_

_John continued, "That's what I'm saying. I'm thinking if anyone needs an Attitude Adjustment, you're at the top of the list."_

"_I'm at the top of the list?" the guy asked._

_John, who really hoped the car could pull up at any moment, said, "We'll see what happens tomorrow."_

"_Dude, can you pick me up? I'm like 145 pounds."_

_John just smirked, "I'll go to the gym tomorrow and we'll work it out."_

_At that moment, the car pulled up to collect Mollie and John as well as their luggage. The driver got out and began loading their luggage. The TMZ guy made one last ditch effort._

"_John, I've got a really good idea. Since you're the boss…our nightline…you can talk to all these guys and give them a little pep talk."_

_John thought about it for a second, and soon a dimpled smirk spread across his face. Mollie was anxious to see what he'd come up with._

_The TMZ guy pulled out his phone and chirped everyone, "John Cena wants to tell you guys something." He then held the phone up to John._

_John asked, "Is this the team out on the streets right now?"_

"_The night crew guys."_

"_What the hell…Let's see its Thursday night, am I correct?"_

"_Yes."_

"_There should be some pretty decent shit going on in Los Angeles. So I hope you guys got your shit straight and you're out there finding it. Listen, you're a show that feeds off of headlines. You need news to make the show. I'm trying to talk into the phone but the guy shooting this is trying to back up to get the shot. So, he's doing his job. I can't hear you so I'm gonna say this. Go out there. Get it done. No fucking excuses 'cause you're on my watch now. And if you don't have an excellent show tomorrow, you're all fired and I'll look for some new talent."_

_John then walked away and opened the door for Mollie._

_The TMZ guy laughed, "Nice…nice!"_

_Once in the car, Mollie wiped her eyes. She had been silently laughing so hard now at John she was now crying. "This ought to be an interesting trip," she laughed._

Then, Mollie was startled by a knock at the door. "Come in," she said. In came her prince charming, looking a bit tired.

"Hi John," she smiled, standing up to give him a hug and kiss.

"Hey baby," he smiled.

"You look tired…" she observed.

"I'll be fine," he sighed. "Come here," he motioned to her and the couch.

Mollie put her paperwork away and snuggled down beside her man. She couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be.

"So, have you seen Brooklyn or Stu yet today?" Mollie asked.

"Uh, come to think of it, no." John replied.

"Hmmm..." Mollie hummed. She snuggled in closer. "I haven't really heard from her since we've been here. And I haven't seen her since Daytona."

"I'm sure they're fine honey. We'll know soon enough right? I mean it is Summerslam. Didn't Brooklyn have Axxess?"

As if they were listening, Stu and Brooklyn walked in, laughing at one another.

"Well, speak of the Devil," Mollie laughed.

"Hi you two," Brooklyn smiled.

"We're not interrupting, are we?" Stu asked with his thick accent.

"Of course not," John assured them.

The lovebirds came in, closed the door behind them and sat down on the couch. The guys immediately started talking strategy for their match that night while the girls caught up.

"So...tell me about bringing Stu home. How did it go?" Mollie asked.

A sly grin crossed Brooklyn's features. "Better than I thought it would."

"Details." Mollie whispered.

"Well, we got in and I showed him around the house before a night out on the town..."

_Flashback_

_"I cannot believe you live in a place like this." Stu was amazed. He'd seen his fair share of fancy places but nothing compared to how elegant and yet still modern and "home" like Brooklyn's condo was. "Love, this view, is just, wow, I could get used to this!"_

_"Easy there cowboy." Brooklyn laughed. "I haven't even shown you the rest of the house." __Brooklyn__ took Stu by the band and led him to the glass elevator that took them up to the second floor. Her bedroom over looked the ocean and since the sun was in mid set, provided a warmth to the space. "This is where the magic happens." She giggled. She always thought that was the cheesiest lines anyone ever used in episodes of MTV's 'Cribs'._

_"Oh really? And how often do you bring lads home?" Stu asked in a low deep tone, deeper than normal. _

_The tone in his voice gave Brooklyn the chills. "Honestly, you're the first. I've never trusted anyone to get this close in a long while."_

_Stu's heart swelled. That meant everything to him. For months now he'd been trying to earn Brooklyn's trust and it seemed like he'd finally earned it. He stepped towards her, taking her gently into his arms and placed a delicate kiss on her lips. "Thank you for trusting me."_

_Brooklyn's doe eyes looked up at his and she saw the fiery passion that was ignited there. "Why don't you let me show you how much I trust you?" _

_Stu crashed his lips to Brooklyn's as his answer. As their tongues danced, Brooklyn's hands toyed with the hem_ _of Stu's shirt. Her finger tips grazed his skin giving him goose bumps. Their kisses became more passionate, more heated as his hands now trialed up her back under her shirt._

_They only broke for a moment to remove each other shirts and Stu made quick at Brooklyn's demi lace bra, his mouth latching to her large breast._

_Brooklyn released a moan from the back of her throat as she enjoyed the warmth his mouth brought to her. Her hands wrapped around his neck and her finger tips grazed through his hair. Her breathing was coming in sighs and gasps._

_Once Stu had finished his assault on her breasts, he moved to her mouth, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses from bosom to collar bone to throat to lips. Their tongues fought for space in the other's mouth as Brooklyn took her hands, quickly doing Stu's jeans._

_She pulled his erect member free, stroking him slowly, agonizingly._

_"Oh B, baby." He groaned at her touch in his thick accent. This was the farthest their touching and petting had gone in their months together. It felt so good to be with her. As Brooklyn stroked him with her delicate but firm hands, Stu unclasped her shorts, tugging at their sides until she was before him in only her matching panties._

_Brooklyn lightly moaned at the feeling of his hands where they'd never been. His long finger touched her most inner parts through her lace panties. Stu quickly grabbed her by the ass and lifted her from the floor, her legs wrapping around his waist. _

_Gently he laid her out on the bed and waited for her to stop him. When she didn't, he gripped at the sides of her panties and whisked them down her legs and off to the floor. Their foreplay was too much to handle and if he had waited any longer they wouldn't get much further. So, he start kissing her again, trailing kisses downward from her lips to her naval, dipping his tongue inside._

_He looked up at her and noticed Brooklyn was staring right back at him, her eyes clouded in lust._

_"What are you waiting for?" She purred._

_The sound of ecstasy dripping in her words caused Stu's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he almost lost control just then, but he gently entered her._

_Their pace was at a medium speed, not too slow and not too fast. In and out he moved as his one hands rested at her hips. Together their climaxed, Stu filling her with his fruits._

"And so after that night we had dinner in Hollywood before resting at my place all week by the pool and the beach. By the time everyone arrived for Summerslam, I had shown him all over town and now we're back at work." Brooklyn smiled.

"Wow." Mollie blushed. "So, you two are good now, huh?'

Brooklyn looked over at Stu who was still engrossed in his conversation with Cena. "Yeah, I hope so. We're saving the whole meet the parents 'til next time."

"Really? Meet the parents? That's great, B," Mollie replied. Then she turned to business, "How did Axxess go?"

"Great…" Brooklyn replied. "I did get wierded out by one guy that came through the autograph line."

"You did?" Mollie asked with a twinge of suspicion. "What happened?"

"I don't think the guy had a clue who I was. But he kept asking for someone who worked backstage. He seemed kinda angry," Brooklyn explained.

"Really? Did you call security?" Mollie asked.

"I was just about to motion for security when this guy did a total 180 in attitude, told me good luck in my match, and left," B concluded. "Weird…"

Mollie nodded but couldn't get B's story out of her mind. Surely her past wasn't trying to find her once again.

"So are you looking forward to Japan and China?" Brooklyn asked Mollie.

"Actually, I'm not going." Mollie half smiled. "Stephanie needs me back at Stamford so I'll miss out this time."

"Seriously?" Brooklyn seemed highly disappointed.

"Yeah." Mollie looked over at John who'd caught the back end of the girls' conversation. They'd already spoken about her not going to Asia with the company and they were okay with the choices Global made. "But it's for the best. There's a lot going on when you all get back. There's Raw's 900th that we have to prep for and I'm trying to score old talent for that as well as finalize all the bookings for that week. Plus, I'm not exactly sure how I'd do on a 14 hour flight."

"Don't remind me!" Brooklyn laughed.

Stu turned to the girls. "B, do you want to grab a bite before I have to go get ready for the show?"

"Sure," she smiled. She turned back to Mollie, "We'll leave you two alone. I'll catch up with you after the show."

Once they were alone, Mollie snuggled back into John's arms. He kissed the top of her head. She asked, "Are you ready for tonight?"

"I am. I sure do wish you were going to Japan and China," John sulked.

"I know. I do too. But, duty calls. Isn't that your motto?" Mollie smiled.

John replied, "Do not hesitate to call me, ok? If anything happens…or if you just want to talk. To hell with the cell phone charges."

"I will," Mollie replied.

"Promise? I'm not kidding."

"I promise, ok?" she told him.

"Ok…now, I need to go get ready. I'll see you after the show," he said as he got up.

"You got it. And good luck. Stay safe, ok?" she asked.

"I promise," he replied quietly as he pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. He turned and left Mollie to her work. For some strange reason, he had great apprehension about leaving Mollie while he was working overseas. He was going to have to finally admit it to himself and her. He was desperately and hopelessly in love with his red haired southern belle.


	20. Chapter 20 SummerSlam

A/N: Thank you once again for all the wonderful reviews. We truly appreciate it. Remember…we own nothing but the original characters! Thanks! ~ The Team

With peace and quiet now in her make shift office, Mollie was able to get back to work and finish things for the next night and begin the task of the 900th episode. She had big plans for that night and if all went well, the 900th episode of Raw would be the greatest ever!

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Stu were settling down in catering. Brooklyn sat in front of a plate of fruit while Stu munched on a protein bar and water.

"Some lunch." Brooklyn laughed.

"I can't eat heavy before a show. And you're one to talk." Stu joked as he nodded at her plate.

"Shut up." She giggled, tossing a grape at him.

"So, I heard you tell Mollie about that man at the signing today." Stu was interested as to whom this guy was.

"Oh, yeah. He was really weird. Like, I don't know. Well, I don't know if he was doing this the whole time he was in line, but by the time he got close, he was speaking loud enough so I could hear him. He kept asking around if anyone knew how to get backstage or if anyone knew crew members and staff. But by the time he reached me, he was way different. He said thank you for the autograph and picture, wished me look tonight and moved away and was gone." Brooklyn explained.

"Did you report him?" Stu asked.

"I didn't see the need to. He was gone." B sighed. "He was probably just someone looking to get closer than his tickets." She shrugged. Stu nodded and said nothing more on the matter.

"We better get going. You're not ready yet and I am supposed to relay Cena's plan to the guys." Stu remarked.

"You're right." Brooklyn stood and tossed her half eaten plate away. She stood on her tip toes and kissed Stu lightly. "I'll see you just before kick off."

"Absolutely." Stu smirked and the two parted ways.

It had been a busy week for them both. And while they'd had a great time hanging out at Brooklyn's place for most of it, they'd been separated since Thursday, having to stay with the talent at the hotel. They had kick off party after party and appearance after appearance, and it weighed heavily on them. Their few nights of passion were a treat in the new level of their relationship, but Brooklyn still had her apprehensions. Stu was considered a little of a playboy during his time in FCW and the DUI on his record wasn't exactly too charming. But Brooklyn looked past his flaws and really saw a great person that she deeply enjoyed spending her time with. Hawaii would be a nice two day run for them and a little R&R in a tropical paradise.

But everyone had to get through the long night and an even longer one tomorrow with a double taping of Raw. Then Hawaii would follow as would Japan and China with a few days off before starting up the East Coast tour with a weekend packed of house shows to lead up to the highly anticipated 900th episode of Raw.

Mollie made her way outside of her office for the start of the show. She smiled when she saw Randy, Teddy, and Stephen walking toward her.

"Mollie," Randy greeted her. "I need a favor."

"Sure...anything Orton," Mollie replied.

"Sam's travel arrangements have gotten screwed up," he sighed. "Can you check on getting her a flight home?"

"Be glad to," Mollie assured him. "Now, have you two got everything figured out for tonight?" she said pointing to Randy and Stephen.

"Aye, we do," Stephen told her in his thick Irish accent. "We'll tear the house down."

"Good." Mollie smiled at her fellow red head. "I'll go hunt down Sam and see what I can do about getting her stuff switched around. Would you like her here tomorrow or head out in the morning?"

"It's up to her." Randy smiled. Mollie nodded and waved bye to the men as she set out to find Mrs. Orton.

In passing she spotted her man as he spoke with NEXUS. They exchanged glances and smiles before each carrying on their way. Mollie dropped by hair and make up to make sure Brooklyn was in there and then finally managed to hunt down Sam before she headed to her seat with Teddy's wife.

She found Sam sitting with Kristen. The two girls got up to greet their friend. "Hi!" Sam smiled.

Kristen followed, "Hey girl…"

"Hi you two," Mollie replied. "Sam…Randy told me about your travel stuff. I'll get it straightened out. When do you want to leave?"

Sam replied, "As late as possible."

"Alright…will do." The girls caught up chatting before the show began.

"Did Randy tell you what's going to happen?" Mollie asked.

"No…the dog. He never does, and it makes me a nervous wreck," Sam laughed.

Kristen chimed in, "Teddy never tells me either. I think they like to torture us."

"You would think I'd be able to find out, but John won't tell me either. I think he wants me to enjoy it like a fan instead of an employee," Mollie laughed.

"How are you two doing?" Kristen asked. "I know Teddy says John is like a changed man."

"I've known him for a long time," Sam said, "and I've never seen him this happy. All thanks to you, Mollie."

"Well, it's mutual," Mollie giggled. "I haven't been this happy in a long time, either. He's a great guy. I've got to get to the back. I'll see you girls later." She left and made her way to the back to watch the show.

The show began with Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler battling to a no-contest. The time came for the Diva's Championship and the crowd was looking forward to seeing Melina back in action. Tonight, she'd take on Alicia Fox for the title. Just towards the end of the match, Brooklyn - with her highly anticipated heel turn - ran down the ramp and into the ring, clothes lining both Alicia and Melina. Once Alicia recovered with Melina still on the canvas "out cold", Brooklyn crouched low enough for a spear. But when she came close to Alicia, one quick move sent Brooklyn flying through the ropes, landing hard on her head. That gave Melina the chance to snatch up an unsuspecting Alicia with a with a snap mare driver to cover for the pin and the coveted Divas title.

Mollie, John and Stu watched in horror as the ref that later checked on Brooklyn held up the "X" for the paramedics and trainers to come out.

"She hit that hard." John commented. He looked over Mollie who had her hands over her face in panic.

"It didn't look good." Stu breathed out heavily.

There was no need for the stretcher, but Brooklyn had knocked herself out cold for a moment once she impacted with the floor outside the ring. Johnny Ace and a trainer supported her as she headed to the back. Stu got to Brooklyn first.

"B, are you ok?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine…" she replied with a wince.

Johnny Ace told Stu, "Let's go get her checked out before we make that determination." He ushered her in to the trainers' room and shut the door in Stu's face.

"Don't worry Big Man, she'll be ok," Mollie assured him. They waited patiently for Brooklyn to emerge. She did about 10 minutes later with an icepack on her head.

B broke the bad news, "I've got a concussion. Damn it…"

Stu kissed the top of her head gently. "I'm just glad it's no more than that. Mollie, can you take her back to the locker room?"

Mollie took B by the hand and led her back to the locker room. She'd stay with her and watch the rest of the show from there.

After Big Show defeated all of the members of the Straight Edge Society, it was time for Randy's match. Mollie noticed Sam sitting on the edge of her seat.

Randy and Sheamus indeed tore the house down, but their match ended in DQ leaving Randy without the championship once again. Kane later defeated Rey Mysterio and retained his championship, but the shock of the night came with the return of the Undertaker. The crowd went crazy.

Then it was Mollie's turn to be on the edge of her seat. John's match with his team against Nexus was next. Even she didn't know who the last member of John's team would be. It was suspiciously left out of the script in order for everyone to be surprised. Everyone, including Mollie, was shocked to find out that it was Bryan Danielson – aka Daniel Bryan – the seventh member of Nexus who was fired after the initial attack by the former NXT rookies.

Bryan eliminated Darren Young with an omoplata crossface. John Morrison eliminated Tarver with Starship Pain while Skip Sheffield eliminated John Morrison and R-Truth in a matter of seconds. Bret Hart was eliminated via DQ after using a steel chair on Sheffield.

Edge eliminated Sheffield with a spear. Chris Jericho eliminated David Otunga with the Walls of Jericho. Heath Slater eliminated Chris Jericho with a neckbreaker, and then eliminated Edge with a roll-up. Bryan eliminated Heath Slater with the crossface, but gets eliminated himself after The Miz attacks him with the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Back and forth the matches went with finishers as most of the eliminations. When the time came, Mollie played Brooklyn's eyes and ears for most John and Stu's part of the match as her concussion left her with blurred vision.

Cena eliminated Justin Gabriel after Gabriel missed a 450 splash. Cena then catches Wade Barrett in the STF to win the match for Team WWE as Barrett tapped wildly.

As the arena cleared out, the boys showered as did Brooklyn. Mollie rounded up her things and waited patiently for her boyfriend.

"You ready to go?" John asked as he found her playing on her phone near the locker room.

"Whenever you are." Mollie smiled up at him. "Nice job out there tonight."

"Thanks baby." John kissed her forehead and picked up her bag to carry with his. "Let's get outta here."

Mollie smiled with a nod and the two headed for John's rental car. What Mollie didn't see was the pair of eyes following them through the fence as tons of fans screamed for Cena and others who were exiting the arena. Brooklyn and Stu weren't far behind them.

"You guys get some rest. You're going to need it for tomorrow." Mollie mothered.

"Yeah man, just take it easy." John said to Stu and then turned his attention to Brooklyn. "Let him take care of you." He knew how stubborn she could be and when she rolled her eyes and winced in pain, John couldn't help but chuckle.

"You ready to go?" Mollie asked John. He nodded and they got into their car.

"Love, are you sure you're alright?" Stu asked as they slowly made their way to the car.

"I'll live. It sucks but I'll live." Brooklyn replied as she stumbled a little.

"Whoa there." Stu caught her and chuckled. "Dizzy much?"

"I guess so." Brooklyn sighed. "Can we just go back to the hotel?"

"Yes. No parties tonight. Not in your condition. And I'll stay up with you." Stu offered as she slowly crawled into the car.

"You really don't have to. I'm sure I'll be just fine." Brooklyn insisted. She wasn't in the mood to be babied.

"I insist." Stu stated sternly. While she wasn't in the mood to be babied, she wasn't in the mood to argue either.

A comfortable silence washed over the two as Stu drove them back down the street to the Sheraton.

John and Mollie watched them walk away as they made their way to their car. As Mollie got in, she let out a huge sigh. John looked over.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm worried about her," Mollie replied. "Maybe she should have gone on to the emergency room."

"I'm sure if Dr. Chris told her she's ok then she'll be ok," John assured her. "And Stu's not going to let her suffer either. If she gets worse he'll load her in the car and take her to the ER kicking and screaming."

"And as for you, Mister Cena, you better get some rest tonight. Big day tomorrow," Mollie smiled as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. The warmth of her breath on his face was almost more than he could stand. He knew a cold shower would be in his future as soon as he got back to his room."

"Yes ma'am," he smiled. "Breakfast in the morning?"

"Of course," Mollie replied. They arrived at their hotel. John walked Mollie to her room and stood outside her door.

"Sleep well honey," John said. He reached down and placed both of his hands on her face. He pulled her close in a kiss. Mollie stood on her tiptoes as their tongues danced. She literally felt as if electricity ran from her lips to her toes and back. She had to catch her breath when they broke the kiss.

"Goodnight. I'll see you in the morning," she said with a wink. She turned and went inside her room. John didn't leave until he heard the doors lock behind her. He walked away practically walking on air. He knew he'd have to tell her how he felt soon.

Back in Stu's hotel room, with his roommate Justin Gabriel conveniently shaking up with Barbie for the night, Brooklyn was able to at least relax comfortably.

For a while she seemed to be alright but as the night progressed, and the more she fought her exhaustion, her vision continued to blur while her head started to pound more.

"Stu…" Brooklyn whined.

"Yeah?" He looked over at her from his side of the bed.

"Can you take me to the emergency room?" She asked.

"Are you sure?" She now warranted his full attention.

"Yeah." Brooklyn whispered. "Or just call Mollie."

Stu dialed the red head's BlackBerry as he dressed. Brooklyn was already in her sweats from earlier. He was setting a ball cap on his head when Mollie answered.

"Hello?" Her voice was groggy.

"I'm terribly sorry to wake you Mollie but Brooklyn wanted me to tell you that I was taking her to the ER." Stu said into the phone as he carefully and gently guided his girl out of the hotel room.

"What, why?" Mollie sat up suddenly very awake.

"She's complaining that the pain is worse and that her vision has blurred more." Stu sighed as they waited for the elevator.

"Do you want me to go?" She asked.

"No, it's alright. I'll take her and keep you updated." Stu finished.

"Thanks." Mollie hung up and cuddled back into her bed.

A good couple of hours later, Mollie received a text from Stu saying that Brooklyn would be alright in a few weeks. She had a severe concussion on the top part of her head and would require a load of down time. When Mollie responded with wanting more details, Stu replied that she'd be out of Asia and would need to be under supervision for a week.

Mollie knew right then that B would be staying with her.

Mollie couldn't go back to sleep, so she got up and worked on her laptop for a while. Just for fun, she pulled up TMZ and looked at the footage of John's airport interview. She saw herself in the background and cringed.

"I looked horrible!" she gasped. Then she laughed at John's antics. He was so charismatic, on and off screen. She smiled at her man on screen. Her man. She knew some back home may see it as too soon, but she had fallen in love with the one and only John Cena.


	21. Chapter 21 Getting Ready for Asia

The next morning, Mollie got up and got ready for her breakfast date with John. But first, she knew she needed to check on her friend. She got ready and made her way to Stu's room and quietly knocked. Stu answered the door with a yawn.

"Hi Mollie," he greeted her sleepily.

"Hi…how's B?" she asked.

"She's well, I guess. She's a tad bit ill from lack of sleep," he replied with another yawn. "She's in the shower."

"I figured that," Mollie laughed. "You look exhausted. Why don't I take her off of your hands for a few hours and let you get some sleep?"

"It's quite alright," Stu said but Mollie insisted.

"You've got a big day. You need your rest."

Just them Brooklyn emerged from the shower. "Hi Mollie," she greeted her friend.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm ok…" B replied.

"You're staying with me while the boys are gone," Mollie informed her.

"But…"

Stu stepped in, "No buts B. You really don't need to be alone while we're overseas. I'd feel better about it."

Brooklyn sent Stu a glare that made Mollie cringe.

"I'll come get you after breakfast." Mollie smiled. "Just be ready to go, since you're inactive tonight."

Brooklyn nodded and Mollie excused herself. Once Mollie was gone Brooklyn turned on Stu. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"What are you talking about?" Stu asked as he went to lie down.

"I can take care of myself Stu. I'm an adult. I just have a little head injury. Nothing I haven't had before." Brooklyn was feeling the pressure build in her head from raising her voice. Not to mention she hadn't slept in a day, so she was cranky and exhausted.

"I know you can. But the doctors said that you need to rest and take it easy. You know you won't do that sitting at home." The Britt sat up to defend himself.

"You cannot make those choices for me. What if I didn't want to go to Stamford? What if I want to stay in my own bed? I should just go to Asia anyway." Brooklyn argued.

"Like hell you will. You're sick. You risk a major problem if you go. You're not going." Stu now stood. "I already told you, I'd feel better about you being with someone while I'm gone."

"I think you need to slow down there and realize that this," she pointed to the two of them, "isn't in a position to be higher up than I am. Not at this point."

Stu was doing his best not to shout but she was being her stubborn self. "When are you going to let that go?" He raised his voice. "You can't just run around and think that everyone who cares for you is going to hurt you. It doesn't work like that. I made promises and I keep them. I'm just trying to help and take care of you, Brooklyn. Now quit being so bloody stubborn and just give into me! Especially after what we've shared with one another." He now yelled.

Brooklyn just looked at him in shock. To her, he had no right talking to her like that, but really in his mind, Stu felt like he needed to finally speak his mind. They've been around the issue one too many times in the few months they'd been together.

With nothing to say, Brooklyn grabbed her gym bag that she'd carried with her from the arena after Summerslam and left Stu behind fuming.

Meanwhile, Mollie found her Prince trying to keep a low profile in the hotel restaurant. He smiled as he stood to greet her.

"Good morning baby," he sighed as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Good morning," Mollie replied. "You're in an exceptionally good mood."

"I got a good night's rest, and I get to have breakfast with you," he grinned.

"Now you're laying it on thick," Mollie laughed. "I'm sorry for making you wait, but I went by to check on Brooklyn."

"And…" John eyed his girl.

"And she's ill…ill as a wet hen. I told her she was coming to stay with me while you guys were gone."

John nodded, "I can image that went over well."

"Why is she so stubborn? She really got mad when Stu asked her to go with me," Mollie said as she took a drink of her orange juice.

"And I'm sure that was display." John sighed and sipped his coffee. "Brooklyn's damaged. But in a different way than what you and I had gone through. She was with someone who was up and coming just like she was. They were both signed from FCW at the same time and when her push came his didn't. They toughed it out for a while and when she found out he'd slept with one of the FCW divas while she was back home in LA on some time off, he told her that he was with B just so he could get called up to a roster. It turned out that he'd been with the FCW Diva the entire time and was stringing B along." John told Brooklyn's untold story.

"Wow…" Mollie sighed as she sat back in her chair. The waiter walked up and brought them their food. When he walked away Mollie continued, "She's never told me that before."

"It's something she's pretty quiet about. She hasn't dated that much. In fact, Stu's the first guy she's really been interested in for a while," John said with a mouthful of food.

"Now I understand her misgivings about Stu. But she's going to have to realize that he's just trying to take care of her."

"She will," John nodded. "Listen, I'd really like for you to come to Boston with me. Fabo would love to meet you."

"Fabo?" Mollie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My dad. Sorry. With the names being the same everyone just calls him Fabo – short for Johnny Fabulous," John laughed.

"Are you sure? About meeting the parents and everything?"

John sat his fork down and took Mollie by the hand. "I haven't been more sure of anything in my life," he said with a wink.

Mollie contemplated his offer for a brief moment. "Alright. When you comeback from Asia, I'll go home with you. It's only fitting since the 900th episode of Raw is at the Garden."

John hadn't smiled that bright in years. He finally had found the girl for him. It just sucked that it took a rotten 12 years of a relationship and marriage to get there. "Great!"

"You know that means eventually, when you're ready you'll have to go home with me." Mollie winked.

"And I can't wait." John shot her a wink right back.

The two sat in silence as they devoured their meals. Mollie changed gears. She asked, "Can you believe you're about to go to China?"

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" John agreed. "It would be even better if we were going."

"John…" Mollie eyed him.

"I know…I know," he told her. "How's 900 shaping up?"

"While it's still a milestone, it's not going to be as big as when y'all initially broke the record. It's only going to be two hours, so we can't fit in as much nostalgia," Mollie rattled off.

"It's still going to be a good show. Nothing to worry about."

Mollie sighed. "I know, but it should be bigger than what is wanted."

John just chuckled a little. He looked over at Mollie who was fiddling with her breakfast. He wasn't sure how or why their paths crossed at the times they did but he was thankful for it. He was down and out and she was broken and abused. At this point in their relationship, it was too early to tell her he loved her, but the truth was he did. So, in the best way he knew how, he said something otherwise. "You know, I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you, to us."

His words took the red head a little aback and she gave him a slight stare. Swallowing hard, her words found her, "Sometimes I think the same thing."

"I'm not trying to freak you out by any means, but I wanted you to know that even though this thing of ours is still new…I'm ready for the ride. Wherever it goes…I'm there," he said with the sweetest smile. Mollie wasn't in the least little bit freaked out at his words. In fact, it was the perfect thing for him to say.

"Good. Because I am too." Mollie said with confidence. She knew in her heart that she agreed with him. She cared too much for him to not have things turn out this way.

John leaned over and kissed her sweetly. It was abnormal for such a display of PDA, especially in such a public place, but it felt right. There was something nagging at him, a feeling deep within his gut that made him worry about leaving Mollie behind while he was in Asia. Call it boyfriend's intuition if one will, but the feeling gnawed at him like a dog with a bone.

"What was that for?" Mollie laughed, once the kiss was over.

"Because I love you..." he whispered.

Mollie's heart almost stopped. "What?"

"Mollie Garrison, I love you," he said again. "You brought me out of a dark place, and for that I'll always be grateful."

Mollie's mind raced momentarily once the words left John's mouth. Her heart fluttered and her stomach twisted in knots of excitement. For a moment, John felt like he'd jumped the gun but when Mollie's expression changed to a grin, his worries eased. Leaning in and giving John a powerful kiss that made the hair stand on the back of his neck, Mollie was still smiling when they parted.

"I love you too." She beamed.

John felt like he was going to float away like a hot air balloon. Across the table from him sat a young lady who loved him. He believed her wholeheartedly. Her smile brightened his days, and her kisses made him come back for more. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

Mollie looked at her watch, "I hate to leave you, baby, but I've got to go check on B. I better make sure she and Stu haven't killed each other."

"Alright...I've got media this morning. I'll see you at the arena tonight for the show," he replied, getting up from the table.

"Yes sir..." she replied as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Love you."

"Love you, too," he replied as he watched his love walk away.

As for the girl in questions, she was sitting in the bathroom of her hotel room, her cheek pressed to the cool edge of the tub. She felt like hell. After she had stormed out on Stu, Brooklyn went to her room and for the last hour the room spun, her ears rang and her head pounded. Not to mention her stomach turned violently and she'd kept the toilet near by. This wasn't your ordinary concussion and she knew it. That fall from the ring and dive right into the padded barricade didn't help. While the padded semi-protected her, she still hit it hard enough to hit the ground just as fast and that's what caused the concussion.

Stu had frantically tried calling and finding her, he'd even resorted to pounding on the door of her room, but she wouldn't answer. Realizing that he may have over stepped his boundaries, he left her alone and would wait to speak with her once everything had settled. And so he went about his business making sure he had what he'd need for the double taping of Raw and headed for the gym then on to the arena he'd go.

Mollie had a spare key to Brooklyn's room always and this time it would come in handy when she went to see her friend. She felt bad for offering to be with her for the day, but Stu had things to do and Brooklyn would be of no use in terms of anything work related for a couple of weeks. Slipping the key card into the door, Mollie watched as the red light quickly turned green and she pushed the heavy door open.

"B... you in here?" Mollie called out. Then Mollie heard the noise coming from the bathroom. Someone was vomiting and then came the flushing of the toilet. "Brooklyn?" Mollie opened the door that was slightly ajar and gasped.

"Ugh..." Brooklyn sighed as she sat back on the floor.

"Come on...we're going back to the hospital," Mollie told her.

"No...no..." Brooklyn insisted.

"B!"

"I'm ok. It's all a part of a concussion like this." Brooklyn sat back against the tub. "I'll stay with you."

"Well, I'm glad you've finally come to your senses. You can't stay by yourself like this. You heard John tell you to let Stu take care of you. He cares for you. We all do," Mollie explained.

"Uh yeah, about that." Brooklyn sighed. "We had a fight."

Mollie knew she might have started it with her offering. "I'm sorry. I'll take full responsibility for that."

"No, it's alright. We bicker. It's what we do. I'm sure we'll be over it. I just have to learn to not be so stubborn and guarded." Brooklyn slightly smiled.

Silence filled the bathroom and Mollie sighed when she looked at her watch. "We need to get going."

"Can you do me a huge favor first?" Brooklyn asked with her eyes closed.

"Yeah." Mollie responded eagerly.

"Can you bring me my sunglasses?" Brooklyn slightly chuckled.

"Sure..." Mollie smiled as she grabbed her friend's sunglasses and helped her up off the floor. "Do you feel up to the creative meeting? I'll gladly get you out of it."

"I'll be fine," B assured her. "Can you hang out while I take another shower and freshen up?"

"Of course," Mollie replied. Brooklyn took a quick shower and changed into some comfortable yoga pants and a loose t-shirt.

The two women headed for valet and waited for Mollie's car. Some fans spotted Brooklyn so she smiled as best she could, with her sunglasses on her face and snapped pictures along with signing a few things. Once the car arrived, the girl were off and running to the arena.

Meanwhile, John finished with his media for _Legendary _and headed to the arena. On his way downstairs, he saw Stu coming out of his room.

"Where's B?" John asked.

"The hell if I know," Stu huffed. "We got into a huge argument, and she left. I went to her room and banged on the door. She never answered, so I left her alone for a while." John read the frustration on his friend's face.

"Bear with her, man. She'll come around and open up. She's one of my best friends, so I can say this without a doubt. She's a stubborn mule."

"But really John, when is it enough time. I mean I'm doing all that I can but enough is enough. This is just driving me insane." Stu sighed.

"I don't know what to say man, I don't. But trust me, she'll warm up. I know it's hard but if you only knew..." John started.

"I know everything. We talked the other night at her place." Stu shook his head. "I don't know how much more I have to do to prove to her that I'm not him, but then again, I don't know if I want to anymore."

"You're both just frustrated. Give her some time to cool off. The girl hasn't slept either so think about that too." John chuckled. "Give her today and tonight you two should just relax. It'll be some time before you see her."

"What are you and Mollie going to do?" Stu asked as they now waited for their cars.

"I don't know yet. Something good I'm sure. We might just make it a night in." John nodded.

Stu and John parted ways just then and would meet up later for the creative meeting. By the time everyone arrived at the arena, meetings were in full swing as were interviews, photoshoots and people were getting ready for the show.

Loads of people were stuffed into the catering area for the creative meeting where Mollie, per Vince and Stephanie's orders, ran through what would be going on for the double taping. She was worried about presenting everyone with the correct information, since it was a large responsibility, but she swooped through it and everyone was square on what they needed to do for the tapings.

Once Mollie had scripts passed out, she went on the hunt for Brooklyn who'd distanced herself from Stu and John at the meeting, to ensure she hadn't snuck off somewhere to sleep. Eventually Mollie found her sitting on a couch in the locker room tinkering on her phone.

"What are you doing?" Mollie asked.

"Just tweeting…" B answered. "Everyone has been blowing up my phone and Twitter since last night."

"We released an update to the website about you," Mollie added.

"I'm…so…tired…" Brooklyn whined.

"I know honey. Tonight you can sleep. I promise. Question is…where?"

Brooklyn knew what she meant. "I'll talk to him and apologize. But, he's got to know his limits when it comes to me and us."

"I'm sure he's learned his lesson," Mollie laughed.

"I'm sure he does. He knows why I'm the way I am but while he says he understands, he sure doesn't act like it." Brooklyn shook her head and the yawned. "I want to pass out so bad!"

"Come on, we'll walk around a bit until the show starts." Mollie laughed at her dozing friend.

The two girls moved around the arena talking and just giggling around. They came across John and Stu just before show time.

"Hey you." John winked at his girl and gave her a kiss to the cheek.

"Hey." Mollie smiled. "Be safe."

"I always am. What do you say we grab some dessert and a movie in my room tonight?" John offered.

"I'll be waiting." Mollie smirked. The couple continued to talk while Brooklyn and Stu just stood there.

"Brooklyn..." Stu sighed.

"I'm sorry." She replied. "But, let's just talk later. Focus on the job and be safe."

Stu couldn't help but smile. While they still weren't great, they were on the road to good. "Don't sleep."

"I'm trying not to." Brooklyn yawned again. Stu pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Come on..." Mollie grabbed at Brooklyn to keep her moving. "If I don't keep her going, she'll pass out like a horse, right where I leave her."

John laughed at the red head and nodded as the two took off. The girls ended up in catering at a small table near a television. Round 1 of Raw for the night went live and seemed to be just fine, however, by the time round 2 came the program fell a little flat with minor matches and everyone seemed to be just exhausted. Midway through the second taping Mollie finally let Brooklyn fall asleep in the locker room as she finished watching the taping from the gorilla since the show was no longer live on USA.

John and the boys finished the show and headed backstage. Stu first stopped at Mollie.

"How is she?" he asked of Brooklyn.

"She's better. She's asleep right now in the locker room. Why don't you go get her and take her back to the hotel?" Mollie told him.

"Thank you, Mollie," Stu replied with a hug for his friend.

John walked up with a chuckle, "Am I going to have to whip the British boy's ass for messing with my girl?"

"Oh hush..." Mollie replied with her southern accent. "You ready to go back to the hotel?"

"Yes...I'm exhausted. Let me get a shower and then we'll leave," John replied.

Stu quickly showered and found Brooklyn out cold in the locker room. He had to chuckle a little at the sight of her. She was snuggled into the corner of the couch, her one hand wedged between her knees, the other cradling her face as a pillow and her sunglasses were still over her eyes. He kneeled down and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Brooklyn?" He said softly. She stirred a little and slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey." She croaked out sleepily and pushed her glasses to the top of her head.

"Let's go home." He smiled. Of course, home meant the hotel, but she was fine with that.

Getting up slowly from the couch, Stu gathered her things and held her hand as they walked to the car. Loading things up, it didn't take long before Brooklyn was out again and they were on their way to the Sheraton.

Already at the hotel, Mollie and John were looking over the room service menu all snuggled into the little couch in John's room.

"Ice cream sundaes or cakes?" John chuckled.

"Hmmm..." Mollie hummed. They both sounded good. "Both?"

John smirked. "Both it is." He called down to Room Service and ordered two ice cream sundaes and a platter of the petite cakes. If his girl wanted both, she'd get both.

"You spoil me." Mollie sighed as she snuggled into John's embrace more.

"You deserve it." John kissed the top of her head.

"I don't but thank you anyway." Mollie was always being so modest. John loved that about her. She was so different than Liz. Mollie didn't have to be constantly entertained or catered to; she was just fine with what she could get from John, when he could give it to her. And the occasional spoiling was just fine between them. She didn't need fancy cars or diamond rings, she just needed him and he needed her.

For a while a comfortable silence filled the room as they flipped through channels deciding on what to watch while they waited for room service. Once the server knocked on the door, John went to answer it. Mollie immediately felt cold away from John's body but reveled in the fact that him being so close to her meant so much.

"What do you say we just watch something simple? I don't think I can make it through a movie." John chuckled as they picked at the desserts.

Mollie replied with a yawn and John knew she agreed. "I'm fine with that, baby."

He leaned in close and kissed her gently. "I love you." He whispered.

Mollie sheepishly smiled. His words, so fresh and new between the two of them, made her blush. "I love you too."

Back in Stu's room, Brooklyn was on a second wind as she nibbled on some fries that Stu ordered for her. They hadn't said anything to one another since they'd left the arena and before that there were promises to speak about the morning's argument. But neither one knew how to approach the situation.

"You know, I am sorry love about this morning." Stu finally broke the ice.

"I am too." Brooklyn said quietly. "I overreacted and I was out of line. I understand that you're trying to take care of me and I appreciate that. I do. I just..."

"Just need to stop being so guarded. I don't know what more I can do to prove that I'm not in this for any other reason than just you and I. I really care for you and if we're going to work out, you've got to start knocking down those walls, love." Stu interrupted her.

"I know. I just, it takes time." Brooklyn sighed. "I like you a lot too. Just, bear with me. I'm stubborn and I know it. I won't deny it."

"I'll do my best baby, I promise." Stu touched a gently hand to her face. Brooklyn molded into his touch, relishing in his sincerity.

They weren't on the path to love just yet, but they were finding their way there. Brooklyn needed him more than she cared to admit to and Stu had found someone he knew he could care for, for a long while, possibly forever. But that was only if she would let him in that far.

Meanwhile, a dark figure emerged from a taxi at the airport. The gruff young man grabbed his one small carry on bag and quickly paid the driver. He then walked inside and checked in for his flight. He had spent the last few days in sunny Los Angeles taking in the sights and sounds of SummerSlam. He was so ready to leave that chaos. His next stop was Stamford, CT.


	22. Chapter 22 Goodbyes & Girl Time

A/N: Thank you so very much for all the wonderful reviews. This story is my baby, and with the help of my ever-present partner SoCalStar529, it's finally coming to life. I hope you like what we have in store. Again, remember – we own nothing.

The next morning, the boys were expected at the airport mid-morning for the first leg of their Asia journey and a stop off in Hawaii. Mollie and John were up and getting ready.

"Do you have everything you need?" she asked for the tenth time.

"Yes Mollie," John laughed. "I've done this before."

"Yes, but you haven't been to China. Not a Wal-Mart around every corner over there, Johnny," she replied, eyeing him over her glasses.

"I've got everything I need…except you," he said as he put down his bag and walked over to her. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. When they broke the kiss, she stared into his glassy eyes.

"I'll miss you." She whispered.

"As cheesy as it sounds, probably not as much as I'll miss you." John lightly chuckled and kissed her again. A knock at the door interrupted them.

"That's the bellman." Mollie sighed. John just nodded.

"You ready yourself?" He asked.

"I just need to do a quick run through." Mollie smiled and started looking through everything in the room to make sure she had everything. John watched as she did so, admiring the beauty before him. It still amazed him at how lucky he was, yet there was something still nagging at him about leaving her.

Shoving the thought to the back of his mind, John took Mollie's hand as they followed the bellman downstairs to the lobby where Stu and Brooklyn were waiting.

"Wow, look who's up!" John commented. Brooklyn grunted and groaned as she sipped her coffee.

"She didn't really want to get up." Stu laughed.

"You ready for this, man?" John spoke to Stu.

"Definitely. It'll be an adventure worth while." He replied with a nod.

"Can we not talk about it? I'm still jealous you guys get to go." Brooklyn huffed.

"Well if someone didn't bust their head on the arena floor they'd get to go too." John joked with his best friend.

She in return just stuck her tongue out at him like a child. Soon enough, the cars arrived and were loaded up, allowing the two couples to head to the airport along with the rest of the WWE.

The ride to the airport was relatively quiet. John held his hand on Mollie's knee while she went over a couple of things on her Blackberry.

"Baby…enough with work," John pleaded.

"I'm sorry. You're right," she apologized.

"Call me as soon as you land at home," he reminded her with a kiss to her temple.

"I will," she answered. Then she saw a pang of worry spread across his face. "What's wrong?"

John, still apprehensive about leaving her, replied, "Nothing…"

Meanwhile, Brooklyn and Stu were just as quiet in their ride. Stu drove, following John to LAX with his hand on Brooklyn's thigh. She quietly closed her eyes and enjoyed the lull of the car.

"Make sure you have a good time." Brooklyn sighed.

"What was that baby?" Stu didn't quite hear her.

"I said make sure you have a good time. I'll bug you to hear all about it when you get back." She lifted her head from the window and smiled at him.

Stu picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "I will. But it will hardly be the same without you. I was looking forward to Hawaii with you."

Brooklyn giggled. "You'll only be there for a day and a half. We'll go to China again."

"You know, you're doing well with this." Stu laughed.

"Really I'm not. I'm super jealous on the inside." She smiled at him. "I'll miss you."

"Wait, what? Did I just hear Brooklyn say that she'll miss me?" Stu acted like he was in a state of shock as he slapped his hand to his chest.

"Oh stop. Yes. I'll miss you." Brooklyn repeated herself with a light laugh.

Stu smiled brightly. "I'll miss you too, love."

At the next red light, he leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the lips. He would miss her and just the fact that she admitted to the same thing was a step in the right direction.

The cars arrived shortly at the airport and everyone got checked into their flights. The boys were headed west. Thanks to Mollie, Brooklyn was being driven to her home so she could pack some clothes for her week with Mollie in Stamford. Then she'd catch a later flight. Mollie had a flight booked home now so she could get her apartment ready for her guest.

Each couple broke away for their goodbyes. Mollie threw her arms around John's massive shoulders and neck and hugged him. She breathed in his cologne and savored the scent. John relished the last few moments of his girl in his arms.

"I love you…" he whispered.

"I love you, too," she replied.

"I'll call when I can. You know how to get in touch with the crew, right," he asked.

"Of course," she assured him. "Have a great trip and be safe."

"You be safe, too," he told her. One last kiss and he walked inside the airport.

Mollie was flying from a separate terminal and that's what left most of the WWE at Tom Bradley International terminal Mollie were to fly from Terminal 6.

"I'll text you from Hawaii. Be careful and don't do too much. Just rest." Stu hugged Brooklyn tightly.

"I will enjoy my time off." She smiled up at him. Stu at 6'7 was a foot taller than her. He bent down and firmly pressed his lips to hers. The feeling it gave Brooklyn sent chills through her. "Be safe."

"I'll see you soon." Stu nodded and headed inside just after John.

Mollie and Brooklyn stood with their bags in their hands until they could no longer see the boys go through security before turning on their heels and started to walk towards Terminal 6. Brooklyn smiled as she noticed Mollie a little teary eyed.

"It'll get easier." She comforted her friend.

"I know. This is just the first big trip since we've been so serious." Mollie sniffled and dried her eyes.

Brooklyn smiled empathetically for her friend. She one day wanted what Mollie had. A spring in her step, a look in her eye, a smile on her face. Mollie was in love and it was readable all over her.

"You love him don't you?" The blonde nudged the red head. When Mollie nodded, Brooklyn grinned. "Does he know?" Again Mollie nodded and Brooklyn giggled. "And he loves you back. That much I know. It's written all over the two of you."

"It just feels right. It's so different than with Ben. I legitimately love John." Mollie finally said.

"You deserve it honey," Brooklyn told her. Then she looked at her watch. "My car is waiting and you've got a flight to catch. I'll be in Stamford later tonight."

"I didn't even realize what time it was. I'll see you then," Mollie replied with a hug to her best friend. She was looking forward to having her friend stay with her this week.

Mollie caught her flight home while Brooklyn met her car. She quickly made her way back to her home, packed for a week, and got back to the airport in time to catch her flight back to Stamford. She was also looking forward to a week with her best friend.

By the time the WWE arrived in Hawaii, the sun was shinning bright and the superstars were given a chance to unwind before the house show that night. John and Stu had checked in to their separate rooms, Randy sharing with John and Stu sharing with Justin Gabriel, and thought it would be nice to just kick back and talk strategy for a while.

"Are you looking forward to Asia?" John asked the NXT winner.

"Yeah." Stu smiled. "I've never been. I just wish Brooklyn was going. She terribly wanted to be a part of the China show."

John nodded. "Yeah, she talked about it for weeks! But she needs to rest and stop being such a pill. I know Mollie was disappointed when she was told she wouldn't be going."

"I think they'll have their little pity party together." Stu laughed.

"Speaking of Brooklyn, I'm glad to see that you guys patched things up last night." John commented.

"That woman is not an easy woman." Stu sighed. "I don't know what I am going to do to prove to her that she means a lot to me."

"You know what happened before right?" John asked.

"Yes, she told me all about him." Stu rolled his eyes in disgust.

"Then just know that it takes a lot for her not to be so guarded. I only say this because I know from experience." Cena shrugged.

"You and Brooklyn..." Stu insinuated.

"Oh, no, no...Not like that. But she was my training partner when she first arrived. I'd seen her at FCW a few times and while she was there, she lifted and worked out at my gym with my buddy Rob. It just took her a long time to even trust me and now she's one of my best friends." John smiled.

Stu nodded in understanding. "I'm trying. I'll try a lot harder when I get back too." He sighed. "Not that it's any of my business, but you two seem to be really hitting it off." Stu chuckled.

"Yeah." John blushed. "Since my divorce man, I never thought...well, you know what I mean."

Stu just nodded and the conversation was quickly changed to work related topics for a bit. Eventually, John had checked his phone and realized that he hadn't heard anything from his girlfriend since he'd arrived in Hawaii, receiving a delayed text, just before she took off for her flight. He let out a long sigh.

"Something wrong, John?" Stu asked. Just then Randy and Ted entered the room as well.

"No, not really." He white lied.

Randy knew better than that. "Out with it."

"I don't know. I guess I have just had this weird feeling the last couple days about Mollie." John sighed, running a hand over his short hair.

"Like what? I thought everything was going great." Ted added.

"I can't figure it out. I have this nagging feeling that something is just wrong. Like it's not in place." John explained.

Stu laughed. "You know what your problem is?" John raised a brow, awaiting his answer. "You're in love and you can't stand to be away from her."

Randy and Ted started to 'ooo' and tease the older man. John just rolled his eyes and waved them off.

"But seriously John, if you think something is wrong, call her. It won't kill you!" Ted chuckled a little. "I'm sure everything is fine. It's Mollie we're talking about her. You know how her week is going to go. She and Brooklyn are going to sit around in Stamford until we get back. They'll get their nails done, drink wine, eat popcorn and watch chick flicks. You know...do that female bonding thing that women do."

John laughed. Mollie didn't drink but wouldn't be surprised at the other half of Ted's list. When Brooklyn and Mollie were together, there was no telling what type of gossip and bonding would go on.

"I'm sure you're just missing her more than you thought you would." Randy agreed. "It happens."

John nodded and agreed with the three other men, only hoping to rid himself of his feeling, but to no avail he still felt that nag deep inside. He was worried but needed to focus on work. Something wasn't right and until he would get home to his girl, his opinion wouldn't change.

When Mollie landed in Stamford, she raced home and cleaned up her apartment. She put fresh sheets on the guest bed and made a mad dash to the market for food. When she arrived, she got a text from Brooklyn saying she had landed. Mollie offered to pick her up but B insisted on letting the WWE car take her there.

Brooklyn arrived outside of Mollie's door and rang the bell.

Mollie answered the door and smiled. Brooklyn, on the other hand, looked exhausted. Mollie said, "Come on in here."

Brooklyn brought her things into Mollie's small, yet homey apartment. The walls in the living room were a neutral brown, and the décor of the apartment consisted of earthy colors. Since Mollie first rented the apartment, she was able to upgrade from the furniture that came with the place. Her couch was a deep chocolate brown accented with turquoise, plum, and yellow pillows. She had a 40-inch flat screen TV mounted to the wall. The rest of the apartment consisted of tons of pictures of her family.

"Are you hungry?" Mollie asked.

"I'm starving," Brooklyn told her. "Your apartment is beautiful!"

"Thanks honey. Let me help you get your stuff in the guest room and then I'll make supper."

Once Brooklyn was settled in the guest room, she joined Mollie in the kitchen. Hopping up on the bar stool that sat next to the breakfast counter, she munched on some crackers and cheese Mollie had set out to snack on while she cooked.

"Thanks for letting me stay here this week." Brooklyn smiled.

"B, believe me, I'm so excited you're here. I haven't had anyone as a guest yet." Mollie laughed. "I work too much!"

"Don't we all honey, don't we all." Brooklyn sighed as she tossed her hair into a messy bun. Rubbing her temples she groaned. "Do you happen to have some aspirin or something? That flight did my head in."

"Sure…is Advil ok?" Mollie asked. B nodded as Mollie got it from the cabinet in the kitchen. Mollie continued, "Why don't you go lay down for a bit? You're getting over a concussion. Go rest and then we'll start our week."

"I won't argue this time," Brooklyn conceded. She then disappeared into Mollie's guest bedroom for a short nap.

As Mollie continued on with dinner received a phone call from John.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Uh, home... oh my gosh, baby I'm so sorry. I forgot to text you. I'm home and I got wrapped up in getting the place ready for Brooklyn."

"I was really beginning to wonder about you…" John sighed.

Mollie didn't quite know how to take his tone. "I'm sorry, John. I'm human."

John now raised an eyebrow to her tone. "Mollie…I didn't mean anything. I was just worried."

"John…I'm fine. Really…I really don't need for you to be stressing about me while you're gone," Mollie insisted.

John was now put off by the conversation, "Well, I just wanted to check with you. I'll talk to you later." And then he hung up the phone.

Mollie sat stunned for a moment. "And so it begins…" she said to herself as she finished up with her taco dinner. Brooklyn then emerged from the bedroom.

"Was that John?" she asked with a yawn.

"Yeah," Mollie answered. "And I don't know what he's got stuck up his butt but he hung up on me."

"Really?" Brooklyn asked. "That's not like him. It's probably jet lag. I wouldn't think anything about it right now."

"You're right…" Mollie agreed. "I've got tacos ready to go. Dig in."

The girls sat and ate while chatting about nothing really. Each complained about their flights and realized that even though they prefer not to fly; it was a necessity with their jobs. And as Brooklyn helped with the dishes, their conversation turned back to their week a head and the boys.

"John's attitude really miffed you didn't it?" Brooklyn asked as she dried a dish.

"He's never been like that with me." Mollie sighed and handed Brooklyn another one. "The last couple days have been great, I just don't get it."

"Like I said, it's probably jet lag. Not to mention he's going to be so far and deep down was probably looking forward to this trip with you."

"Hey, I didn't make that choice. The big man did and trust me, I wanted to go." Mollie shook her head. "I love him, I really do, but this is what I was afraid of."

"Afraid of what? A little rift? A disagreement?" Brooklyn questioned.

"No, I've told you, just you know the whole sex part. It's happened once and now look at us." Mollie shut the water off and started helping with the drying.

"Mollie, I think you're being too hard on yourself. He's just being cranky. Maybe a little time to himself for the week will do you guys some good. It's one little disagreement." B pointed out.

Mollie nodded and sighed, "You're right."

"I know." B laughed.

"So, I even though I have to be at the office tomorrow, what do you think of the two of us grabbing lunch tomorrow?" Mollie offered.

"I think that's a good idea. I was going to have a meeting with the National Guard and the promotional team tomorrow anyways around 2." Brooklyn smiled.

"I know." Mollie laughed.

"Then what do you think about getting our nails and toes done after?" Brooklyn suggested.

"I'd say that's a great idea." Mollie smirked.


	23. Chapter 23 Revenge

The first couple days the girls were in Stamford were nice and quiet. They followed through with lunch plans and pedicures while gabbing about life, magazine tabloids and doing some major girlfriend bonding. Mollie enjoyed having a girlfriend around. It passed the time and kept her from working late by her own choice.

It had been a couple days too since Mollie and John talked. She needed to cool off and John was embarrassed at the way he'd overreacted. Stu pointed out that he'd been clingy which was not like Cena at all, so that in turn forced the former champ to really assess the damage he had inadvertently caused.

It wasn't until they boys made it to Tokyo that John called his love again and when he did, he received direct voicemail. Considering the time difference she was most likely in a meeting.

"Come on man, let's go out, and get our minds off of things." Stu clapped the older man on the shoulder.

"I'm good. I'm going to just kick back. You go though. You guys rocked it in Hawaii. Have a good time." John smiled gently at his now good friend.

Stu nodded and headed back down to the lobby with David Otunga and a few other guys from the trip.

Back in Stamford, Mollie was indeed in a business meeting that was most likely to last the better part of the day. She and Brooklyn were involved in finalizing the deal with The National Guard. Brooklyn speaking for the talent and Mollie speaking on behalf of Mr. McMahon, a true honor in itself.

Mollie stood in front of the room with Brooklyn and addressed three representatives from the National Guard – two men and one woman. Mollie handed out the proposal and the three looked over it thoroughly.

"We're so happy to have you here today," Mollie began. "I'm Mollie Garrison, talent relations coordinator for WWE and here with me is WWE Diva Brooklyn Greene. The WWE is so excited about this partnership with the National Guard. On a personal note, I've got a cousin back home in Mississippi who has served two tours in Iraq with his National Guard unit. They definitely hold a special place in my heart."

Brooklyn chimed in, "I can say, on behalf of the Superstars, that we're excited for this project. We love our armed forces, as evidence by our Tribute to the Troops show each year, and we're happy to do anything to bring attention to their cause."

The older gentlemen, Captain Haley, replied, "And we are looking forward to this opportunity. What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see in our proposal that we're looking at a series of photo shoots featuring many of the Superstars and Divas, including Brooklyn, as well as commercial spots to run during WWE programming, print ads in our magazine, and advertising on ."

Brooklyn added, "WWE is also in talks with Hendrick Motorsports to do a special National Guard/WWE paint scheme for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car sometime before the end of the season."

The lady, Captain Gray, responded, "This looks great, ladies. We look forward to working with you."

The group stood up and shook hands with Mollie and Brooklyn. They exited the room leaving the girls to straighten up from the presentation.

"What do you say we clean this stuff up and head out for some lunch?" Mollie offered.

"I think that sounds so good. I'm starving!" Brooklyn laughed.

Mollie laughed at her blonde friend and said, "Great. I just need to check some emails and we can go."

Brooklyn nodded and headed back to Mollie's office with her.

It didn't take long for Mollie to send her replies and the two were out the door for lunch. As they entered the lobby, Brooklyn's phone started ringing. That in turn reminded Mollie to check hers. She realized she'd left it off after her meeting.

"Oh, it's from Eve." Brooklyn smiled and opened the message.

'Call me if you can ASAP! It's about Stu.' It read.

Fearing the worst, Brooklyn dialed back Eve's number. "You go a head and I'll meet you in the car. I'll lose service in the garage."

Thinking nothing of it, Mollie nodded and walked ahead. Brooklyn waited for Eve to pick up and when she finally didn't expect the news Eve had for her.

"Hey gorgeous, what's up?" B asked.

"I know this is going to cost us huge, so I'll make it short. Stu just left with Maryse." Eve said quickly.

"What?" Brooklyn wasn't sure if she heard her right. "What do you mean?"

"Mike stayed back at the hotel because he wasn't feeling well and so we all came out for dinner and drinks after the flight. John didn't want to come so he's back at the hotel too. The next thing I know is I look over at Maryse and she and Stu are making out on the dance floor. I watched him approach her, Brooklyn." Eve explained.

"Prove it." B couldn't believe what she was hearing. She trusted him; she was finally letting all of her walls down. Eve hung up with her and Brooklyn didn't need to wait long as Eve sent her the picture of the two making out on the dance floor. The message below it read, 'I'm so sorry.' Not wanting to talk any longer, Brooklyn shut her phone off and went to catch up with Mollie.

Mollie made her way to the elevator that would take her to the garage. When the elevator dinged and opened, Mollie took one step out when she was grabbed by the arm. Mollie turned in horror to see that it was Ben.

"Ben…please…." Mollie pleaded as he pulled her toward his awaiting truck.

"Shut up…" he muttered.

"HELP!" Mollie yelled.

"I said shut up!" he yelled as he struck her face with the back of his hand.

Mollie struggled and fought with every ounce of energy she had. Her handbag went flying into the air sending her Blackberry skidding under a parked car.

"Why can't you leave me alone?" she begged. "We're not married anymore."

"I'm taking you back home," he told her.

"I'm not scared of you anymore," she said as she spit in his face.

"Mollie…why?" Ben asked, blubbering and fighting back tears of his own. "I love you. You don't belong here. Not in this big city with this freak show you're working for."

"You don't know anything about this, and I don't have to explain anything to you anymore. I'm not your wife…why can't you get it through your head?" she yelled, hoping and praying someone would hear her.

"Who is that muscle-bound steroid freak you've been with? Are you fucking him?" Ben stammered. Mollie could tell now that he was definitely drunk.

"None of your damn business!" Mollie yelled.

"I said shut up!" Ben spat back with another slap to Mollie's face, this time drawing blood from her lip and sending her to the ground.

With everything she had in her, Mollie roared up from the ground and pushed Ben against a nearby Lexus. This set off the car's alarm and gave Mollie the chance to run. Ben quickly leaped up, knowing that this alarm would draw attention and grabbed Mollie once again. She then started punching wildly, trying to hit anything and everything. This sent him into a rage. Mollie had never stood up to him, and she wasn't about to start now. He wildly threw her up against the wall. Her head was the first thing to hit, and her vision became blurred as she slid to the floor. She tried to crawl away from her attacker, but Ben caught her with a foot straight to the ribs. The pain in her head became too much to bear, and soon Mollie felt the cool concrete floor against her face as she fell unconscious.

Ben snapped out of his rage when he saw his love hit the ground. "Mollie," he said, now scared. "Mollie…" he said again. He kneeled down and put his hand on the back of her head. He was horrified when he saw her beautiful red hair stained with blood. He then left her there and ran. He ran as fast as he could to his truck and peeled rubbed out of the garage, praying that a security camera somewhere had not captured his image.

A troubled and saddened Brooklyn exited the elevator and started her approach towards Mollie's car. Her eyes were red from crying and she cursed herself for forgetting her sunglasses back at Mollie's place. As she came around the corner from an isle she noticed a woman lying out on the concrete, a small pool of blood around her head.

"Oh my God!" Brooklyn gasped. She picked up her pace and recognized the woman's clothes. "MOLLIE!" Brooklyn sprinted the rest of the way to her fallen friend. Crying and desperately screaming for help, Brooklyn rolled the red head gently over onto her back and cradled her head in her lap. "HELP! Someone help me, please!" She continued to scream. "Mollie, wake up... wake up Mollie...please!" She cried.

Parking lot security came quickly in their golf cart and once Brooklyn spotted them she yelled, "Someone call 9-1-1!"

It was then that security took over in Mollie's care as they waited for police and paramedics to arrive. Blood had stained not only Mollie's hair and the concrete around her but Brooklyn's white slacks and hands. Tears streaked her face as she stood and her lip quivered while Brooklyn assessed the scene around her. Mollie's things were strewn all around from her purse and its contents to whatever papers Mollie exited the building with.

"Oh no." The realization hit the blonde. "Ben."

The ambulance soon arrived and Brooklyn stared blankly as the EMTs secured Mollie for transport to the Stamford Memorial.

"Are you coming?" The young man asked her, shocking her back to reality.

"Y...yes." She managed.

"Then you have to come now." The man said and stepped into the ambulance with Brooklyn behind him.

The ambulance ride seemed like an eternity. Brooklyn stayed clear of the EMTs and let them work on Mollie. She tried not to cry, but it was so hard not to when looking at her friend. She knew it had to be her ex. The thought of this being some random attack never even crossed her mind. Mollie had overcome so much in her life, and now she was fighting for that very life on the way to the hospital. Brooklyn's mind raced a thousand different directions. Her own troubles with Stu were the furthest thing from her mind.

They soon pulled up to the hospital and Mollie was wheeled inside. Brooklyn wasn't allowed to go inside so she sat in the waiting room. She picked up her phone and made the first of many phone calls. The first one was to John.

It rang more than what she'd hoped it would. She knew then that he was asleep. Luckily, he picked up groggily just before his voicemail answered.

"Hello?" He answered, sleep evident in his voice.

"John..." Brooklyn sniffled. She needed to excuse herself from the waiting room. She needed to be able to tell him privately and allow herself the space to break down.

"B?" John barely could recognize her.

"John...something's happened." Brooklyn inhaled a sob.

His senses went into full alert as he sat up in bed, now waking Orton, his roommate. "Brooklyn, calm down." Worry seeped in his tone.

"Mollie and I were leaving for lunch...and I was too late, I couldn't stop him, I didn't see him and she... there was a lot of blood." Brooklyn couldn't do it. She just broke down.

"Damn it Brooklyn, calm down and tell me what the hell happened." John said sternly.

"Ben, I think it was Ben, attacked Mollie. I never saw him. I got off the phone with Eve and when I went to meet her at the car, there was all this blood and she was unconscious in the parking garage." She finally was able to tell him.

"What…?" he finally managed to ask, trying to wrap his mind around what she said. "Is she…?" He couldn't even finish his sentence.

"I'm at the hospital with her now. They won't let me go back there," she broke down once again.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. You're going to have to be strong for her. Please be strong for her," he pleaded. "Please call her family. I'll call Vince."

"I will…" Brooklyn sniffled once again. John hung up the phone and sat up on the edge of the bed.

Randy finally stirred fully and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have left her. I knew I shouldn't have left her. Someone attacked Mollie. She's in bad shape in the hospital," John explained.

"Oh my God…did they catch the guy?" Randy asked.

"No…B thinks it's Mollie's ex-husband," John replied. "I shouldn't have left her."

Randy removed himself from his bed and sat next to John on his. "John, you can't blame yourself. You didn't know something like this would happen. And, there is no way in hell you could have missed this tour. And she couldn't miss things in Stamford."

"I did know. I had a feeling...I..." John's stomach lurched to his throat and he quickly ran for the bathroom. Spewing what remained of his undigested dinner into the toilet, he broke down.

Randy let out a deeply loaded sigh. His best friend needed him; there would be no sleep tonight. He left the bed and entered into the bathroom where John was crying and rinsing the bile from his mouth.

He threw cold water over his face to drown the flush that had appeared. "The last time I talked to her, we fought."

Randy nodded. "Don't blame yourself. Let's just work on getting you stateside and fast."

It was now John's turn to nod. Deep down he know Randy's words were the impossible. No matter what, there was no way around getting him back stateside let alone to Stamford. He'd had to wait until the rest of the roster came back from this trip. It was the one heartbreaking decision John had to make and he knew that staying in Japan was what he had to do. He just prayed Mollie would be strong and pull through and the moment he got back, he'd be with her.

Meanwhile at Stamford Memorial, Brooklyn was struggling with how to tell Mollie's parents. As she waited and contemplated, the doctors and nurses still had no word on Mollie's condition. Then it came to her, she did the only thing she thought would work, she called her cell phone company's operator and had them looked up.

Once she got the number, she made the heartbreaking call. Brooklyn assured her parents that she would keep them updated and she would make sure WWE got them a direct flight to Stamford. She didn't call Vince or Stephanie because she wanted to leave that to John. So now, she sat and waited.

A few moments later, a doctor appeared in the waiting room. He looked over to Brooklyn and motioned for her to come to him.

"Doctor...I came in with Mollie Garrison," Brooklyn reminded him. "How is she?"

"She's stable now. She did suffer two broken ribs as well as numerous cuts and bruises. However, she hasn't yet regained consciousness," Dr. Miles informed her.

Brooklyn nodded as the doctor continued, "She has sustained blunt force trauma to the back of the head which has caused a slight hairline fracture to her skull. We did an MRI and there is some swelling and bleeding on the brain. While right now we don't think it's serious enough to warrant surgery, it's something that we're going to monitor. She's a very lucky young lady."

"When do you think she'll wake up?" Brooklyn asked, only slightly relieved at the prognosis.

"Only time will tell at this point. It could be a few hours…it could be a few days. It all depends on her. She most likely will regain consciousness once the swelling goes down. Until then, like I said, we'll monitor her." The doctor answered. "Once we get her settled, you can join her."

"Thank you." Brooklyn whispered and nodded.

The doctor left her and Brooklyn slumped into the chair. She texted John the latest and just prayed and prayed hard. Mollie was a fighter and Brooklyn knew she wouldn't give up. It wasn't long into her second half of the wait that the police came looking for Mollie as well as Brooklyn and dredging behind them was a very worried looking and ready to pop Stephanie McMahon.

"Steph…" Brooklyn sniffed, trying to keep from bursting into tears in front of the boss.

"What happened, Brooklyn?" Stephanie asked as she sat down in the nearest chair. "How is she?"

"I'm still not sure…" Brooklyn answered honestly. "The doctor just came out. He said she's got some swelling and bleeding on the brain right now. She's still not awake, but he thinks she'll wake up when the swelling goes down."

"This is Detective Mason," Stephanie introduced him to Brooklyn. "He's with Stamford PD. You'll have to give a statement."

"Yes ma'am," she replied as she nodded to the detective.

"Let's go to the cafeteria," Detective Mason suggested. Then the two of them left Stephanie with her entourage in the waiting room.

It took a good hour but Brooklyn recounted for what she remembered happened. She wasn't much to go on for the detective but he was able to at least get an APB out on Ben with Brooklyn's statement about his and Mollie's past.

When she rejoined Stephanie in the waiting room, it was only a few minutes in passing when the doctors came for Brooklyn to take her to Mollie's room. Stephanie left then, assuring Brooklyn that everything would be handled under the full confidence of the WWE and she would be sending a car for Mollie's family and Brooklyn once she was ready to go.

Brooklyn thanked Stephanie kindly and explained that she wasn't leaving Mollie until her parents arrived and only then it would be to shower and return.

Brooklyn slowly opened the door to Mollie's room and was heartbroken at what she saw. Mollie's face was pale, and the cuts and bruises were evident all over her face. Her hair had been cut so the doctors could get to the deep cut on the back of her head and stitch it up. She was hooked up the several monitors that beeped periodically. Mollie's chest rose and fell slowly underneath the sheet.

Brooklyn sat down and immediately grabbed her friend's hand. "Mollie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I took that stupid phone call. I should have been right there with you. He wouldn't have done anything if I had been there." She studied her friend's face for any sign of movement. Nothing. "Your parents are on their way. John's coming home, too. He'll be here as soon as the crew gets back from Tokyo. He loves you so much. You've got to wake up, Mollie. You've got a man that loves you and isn't going to hurt you. Forget that stupid fight you guys had. He loves you so much."


	24. Chapter 24 Hold On

A/N: I cannot believe that we're almost at 200 reviews! I hadn't even been keeping up with it, so it's a very nice surprise. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. And thank you to my partner SoCalStarOC for her help. I wouldn't be writing this without her. Again…remember…we own nothing but the OC's. ~The Team

The sun was rising in Tokyo, shinning through the thin curtain of the hotel room. A slender blonde, wrapped only in a crisp once clean sheet stayed sleeping while her bedmate sat up straight, his head in his hands. He had royally screwed up and if word got out to the one waiting for him at home, they'd be through.

'What have I done?' Stu asked himself as he now glared at Maryse. Not only had he kissed someone else but he allowed that someone else to lead him back to his room. He knew there would be consequences not only in his own love life but now in the locker room as well. Mike Mizanin and Maryse were still together.

According to Maryse they'd gotten into a fight and she left with the group while Mike left with a different set of his buddies.

The interaction now played through Stu's mind. By the time dinner had been over, he had his buzz kicking in. He remembered being at the club, getting the VIP treatment and he's having a good time. He thought about Brooklyn and how they'd be having fun together, and then drink after drink, shot after shot things changed. He knew he had a girlfriend, but loneliness shamefully out weighed his thoughts. He and Maryse had been dancing, she kissed him and he kissed back, then the next thing he knows, he's waking up naked next to her.

'I've got to get out of here.' He thought again and rose from the bed, slipping into his boxer briefs.

Maryse stirred from her spot and sat up. "Where are you going?" She asked in broken English. Obviously being hung over didn't brood well for the French Canadian.

"I'm leaving. What happened last night was a huge mistake." He stated matter of fact.

"You weren't saying that before." She smiled.

"You have Mike and I... I have Brooklyn." Stu sighed sadly. 'Had Brooklyn, no doubt.'

"Mike and I are through." Maryse informed him.

"But B and I weren't. I fucked royally and I need to make it right." Stu slid his shirt over his head.

"But she isn't here." Maryse pointed out.

"Not by choice." Stu now pointed out.

"You haven't been together that long." Maryse seemed desperate for him to stay.

"But I love her." The realization dawned on him before he even thought about his words. He'd fallen for the former Divas champion and now he may never know what her love feels like back. "I have to go."

And there he left the "Frenchie", naked and alone in his bed.

Mollie's parents arrived at the hospital about five hours later. They drove to Memphis as fast as they could, and WWE had already sent their private jet to whisk them back to Stamford as soon as they arrived. They sent Brooklyn back to Mollie's place to gather some of her insurance papers as well as to get a shower and grab a bag of her own. There was no way Brooklyn wasn't staying there with her friend.

In Tokyo, John was in the shower. Vince had gotten word of Mollie's attack from Stephanie and immediately called John. Vince ordered the travel plans of the overseas crew to be moved up and for them to leave Tokyo on the earliest flights out.

John finished getting ready and gathered his things. Randy followed closely behind as the two men walked out of their room and started down the hall. Then they stopped as they saw the tall Brit stumbling out of his room.

"What's the rush for?" Stu asked with a yawn.

"We've got to haul ass back to the US. Mollie was attacked and is in the hospital," Randy told him as he walked by. Something caught John's attention as he saw the reflection of a blond in the mirror of Stu's room.

"Randy…go on. I'll catch up," John told him. Randy nodded and walked on to the elevator. John turned his attention to his friend.

Stu stammered, "John…I'm sorry."

"I'm not worried about you right now. I'm worried about that sweet girl in the hospital right now. Someone apparently tried to bash her head in. I just want to get back to her. You're on your own. I ought to throw you off the balcony for doing whatever you've done and hurting one of my best friends, but she'll deal with you," John glared. Stu hung his head. He knew he was right. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened between himself and Maryse, but he knew that he had a lot of explaining to do

A short time later, John and the rest of the WWE crew were boarding a plane to LAX. John hadn't slept at all since getting the news of Mollie's attack, and he held his phone in his hands waiting for the latest updates. News had spread quickly of Mollie's attack and the entire roster back home in the states as well as overseas were praying for their sweet redheaded friend.

Randy sat next to John and tried to keep him occupied but to no avail. He as well hadn't slept any since the phone call came in. John looked at his phone once again, knowing that the flight attendant would soon come on and tell everyone to turn off their electronic devices.

"I don't want to turn it off…" John muttered. "What if I miss something?"

"You'll be able to turn it back on soon," Randy assured him.

Ted sat down across the aisle from John and Randy. After he loaded his carryon bag, he turned to John. "Any word?"

John replied, "The last word I had was that she's in a room. Still unconscious."

Ted nodded and added, "She's going to be ok, John."

"I hope and pray you're right," John replied.

Brooklyn arrived back at the hospital with Mollie's insurance papers as well as her overnight bag. She trashed her blood-stained white slacks after she got a shower and changed into a t-shirt and sweat pants. Mollie's parents were camped out in her room, watching for any signs of life.

"Brooklyn," Mollie's mother Ann said, "I'm sorry we had to meet like this."

"I'm sorry, too. Mollie talks about you guys all the time," Brooklyn replied.

"Did she tell you about how that bastard used to beat her?" her father Jerry blurted out. He was a man of few words.

"Yes sir…" Brooklyn said. "Some…"

"I'll kill him," her dad continued. "I'll kill him for doing this to her."

Ann and Brooklyn remained silent as the older man looked straight ahead and stared daggers into the wall.

A few hours later, the WWE crew arrived at LAX. Several superstars and divas changed their travel plans. Instead of going home, they wanted to be there for Mollie. As soon as John checked in for his second flight, he called Brooklyn for an update.

"Hey John," Brooklyn answered.

"B, I'm at LAX. I'll be there in 3 hours. What's the latest?" he asked.

"No change. Her parents are here with her," Brooklyn informed him.

"Can you come and pick me up? I'd rather not call a cab," John asked.

B replied, "You know I will. How are you holding up?"

"Don't worry about me," he said. "I'll call when I land." He hung up the phone and plopped down in a nearby chair. Randy saw the expression on John's face and became concerned.

"How is she?" he asked.

John replied, "No change. Her parents are there. I guess you're going home?"

Randy scoffed, "Are you kidding me? I'm going with you. I've already called Sam and told her what's going on."

John half smiled. He appreciated Randy's friendship throughout the years and cherished it even more at a moment like this. "Thank you."

Randy gave him a reassuring pat on the back as their flight was called. Soon, John would be able to see Mollie's condition for himself.

The two men sat in their seats, leaving the middle seat open for room. It surprised them when they saw Eve and Stu walking on board and sitting across from them. Eve looked to be agitated and Stu just hung his head in shame.

"I'm here for you John." Eve smiled warmly. John nodded.

"And you?" John asked spitefully.

"I've already made my bed and I have to lay in it. But I'm here for Mollie." Stu replied. John nodded and ignored the Brit the rest of the flight.

It became apparent to John then that Brooklyn must have already known about Stu's affair and Eve was the one to be sticking up for her friend.

A few hours later, John and the rest of the crew landed in Stamford. John sent Brooklyn a quick text to let her know he landed, but she was already at the airport waiting on him. She looked beyond exhausted. Much to her surprise, he wasn't alone. He sat with Randy, Eve, Teddy, and Stu. The very sight of Stu brought back the hurt of what he had done. Once their eyes met, he immediately looked down in shame. Brooklyn turned her attention back to John and gave him a hug.

"Anything?" he asked.

"She's the same. The doctors say it's up to her to come out of it," she reported.

"What happened?" Teddy asked.

"She had gone on to the garage ahead of me while I was on the phone," she said as she shot a glare to Stu. Eve saw this and immediately felt guilty. Brooklyn continued, "When I caught up to her she was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. I didn't see anyone or anything but…"

"But what?" Randy asked.

"I'm pretty sure it was her ex-husband. She's never told this to a lot of people, but she ran away from him. He used to…" she trailed off again.

"He used to use her as a damn punching bag," John finished her sentence. "We can talk about this at the hospital."

"You guys go on ahead," Randy told John and Brooklyn. "I'll rent a car and we'll be right behind you."

John nodded as he and Brooklyn turned. Brooklyn never said a word to Stu, and he couldn't have felt lower. He, too, was worried about his friend but he also knew he had to fight to save this relationship.

They were midway to Stamford Memorial before the profound silence was broken. John was the first to speak.

"All things aside with my little Red, I could kill him." John held a hand over hers that was dropped to the arm rest as she drove.

Brooklyn shook her head. "It's not about him right now. It's all about Mollie. Nothing more said."

John took it as she didn't want to talk about it and he couldn't blame her. He was just thankful he had her there. "She's going to be alright." He said confidently.

"Yep." Brooklyn agreed. "I should warn you, her parents are there."

"Not exactly the way I wanted to meet them." John sighed and ran a tired hand over his face.

"I know. But I just wanted to prep you." Brooklyn let you a slight chuckle. "Nothing like being fed to the wolves right off, right?"

John let a little chuckle go himself and smiled at his friend's attempt to lighten him up. The rest of the drive was in silence.

Meanwhile, Randy drove and followed the GPS while Ted sat with Stu in the back and Eve riding shot gun. Silence filled their ride as well, no one knowing what to do or say. It was about Mollie and they all knew it, but those who were close with Brooklyn felt no need to acknowledge the Brit in the car either.

Once Randy pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, Eve and Ted walked a head a little as Randy now felt to speak his mind.

"Don't go in there and cause a scene. Heed my warning. It won't end pretty if you disrupt this family anymore than what's been done." His stare was cold and Stu nodded. "She'll talk when she's ready." Again, Stu nodded and walked behind Randy.

John and Brooklyn were the first inside and they made their way to the elevators. Randy and the rest of the group quickly caught up. John looked over to his friend. "How bad it is?" he asked.

"She's got cuts and bruises. The main thing you'll notice is that they had to cut her hair so they could stitch up her head," she warned him. John's heart sank. He loved her shoulder length red locks, but it was just hair. It would grow back.

The elevator dinged and they exited to the elevators. Mollie's room was the last one on the left down the hall. Brooklyn turned to everyone else and said, "Let John go in for a bit and then the rest of you can see her."

Everyone nodded as Brooklyn led John into the room. Mollie's parents were both asleep – her mother on a cot and her father in the chair. They both jumped when Brooklyn entered.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized. "Mr. & Mrs. James, this is…"

Ann finished her sentence, "John…John Cena, right?"

"Yes ma'am…" he replied. "How did you…?"

Ann answered, "We've been trying to brush up on who Mollie works with."

"I see…" John said. "How is she?"

"No change right now…" her mother continued. "We're just sitting here…watching her and praying."

Brooklyn felt she needed to leave them alone so she turned to John and said, "I'm going back out there with them. I'll see you." She then excused herself and left.

Mollie's dad then spoke up, "So…you're the one she's been dating."

John became extremely uncomfortable but he replied, "Yes sir…"

Ann chimed in, "We knew she had to be dating someone…we just weren't sure who. She had this happiness in her voice when she called."

John smiled at the thought. He loved knowing he made her happy, but then he looked over at his broken and beaten love. He choked back a tear of his own, "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect her."

"Son…" her dad spoke up again. "There wasn't anything you or any of us could do. Don't you think we've already had that conversation?"

John continued to fight back tears as her parents sensed he needed to be alone with her. Her mother hugged John. "Talk to her," she whispered. "I know she wants to hear from you."

John nodded as they left the room. He pulled a chair close to her bed and held her hand. He stroked her hand and looked at her for a few moments. Then he remembered her mother's words, _Talk to her._

"Mollie," he said softly. "It's John…I'm here baby. I love you very much. Please baby…wake up for me."

Nothing… She continued to breathe slowly, in and out, and didn't move.

John continued, "I haven't even been home. I came straight here as soon as I heard. There's others here, too. Randy…Stu…Teddy…Eve…we're all here for you. They love you too. They'll be in here in a little bit to see you. I just wanted a few minutes alone. Baby…I'm so sorry we had a fight. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have left you. Something inside of me said I shouldn't leave you and I did anyway. If I had been here…maybe…" He wiped a stray tear away and kissed her hand.

As John was left to speak with Mollie his words of encouragement, her parents headed down for a walk, leaving Brooklyn and the rest of the gang in the floor waiting room. It was eerily quiet.

"I'm going to get some tea. I'll be back. Anyone want anything?" Brooklyn asked.

She was met with rounds of 'no's' and 'no thank you's'. With a short smile and a nod, she left for the elevator. Stu saw this as his chance and bolted after her. He stuck his arm in the closing doors allowing them to reopen in order to let him in. Brooklyn grunted when she realized who had stopped the elevator.

"Can we talk about this?" Stu asked.

Brooklyn scoffed at the thought. "You're kidding me right?"

"No." He replied.

"You expect me to believe anything you're about tell me when all along you were just like the last one. You've gotten what wanted and you moved on. I have nothing to say to you." Brooklyn venomously stated.

"Let me explain." Stu begged.

"There is nothing to explain. You are the farthest thing from my mind right. This is not the time nor the place to be trying to explain as to why you did what you did. My best friend is my number one priority right now." Brooklyn dryly laughed. "I never should have trusted you. I gave in too soon." She was doing her best to not break down. Stu sensed that and reached out to her. "Don't you touch me."

"Brooklyn, I'm terribly, terribly sorry." He sighed. "I love you."

The words stung almost as much as his actions the previous days had. And what came next Stu didn't exactly expect. She just stared for a split second before landing an hard open slap to the side of his face.

"Don't you ever say that again." Brooklyn tearfully whispered and took off the moment the doors to the cafeteria floor opened.


	25. Chapter 25 Awake

Mollie's parents came back and began talking to Randy, Ted and Eve. Stu returned to the waiting room on Mollie's floor with a fresh handprint across his cheek. It was noticed, but no one said a word.

Randy took up the introduction, "Mr. & Mrs. James, this is Stu."

They nodded to Stu and he replied, "Mollie is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. We all love her."

Ann spoke up, "She loves you guys, too. She talks about you all the time when she calls. I've never understood this business that you're in, but she loves it and was happy. After all she had been through; anything that made her happy was fine with us."

"She takes care of us," Eve told them. The group looked up when John came out of the room. Everyone could tell he'd been visibly upset.

"Do you guys want to go in?" he asked.

Ann added, "I know she would want you to."

Eve, Randy, and Ted stood up and made their way to the room. Randy squeezed John's shoulder as they walked by. He motioned to Stu for him to follow. The group entered Mollie's room leaving John and Mollie's parents.

Jerry turned to Ann, "Let's go get a hotel room and come back. She'll be in good hands."

John asked, "Where's Brooklyn?"

"I think she went to the cafeteria," Ann answered. She then reached up and gave John a hug. "Thank you for being there for our baby and making her happy."

"She's done more for me than I've ever done for her," John answered.

"We'll be back shortly," Jerry said. "Here's my card with my cell phone number. Call me the second she wakes up."

"Yes sir," John replied. He left her parents to go find Brooklyn in the cafeteria.

The rest of the group sat quietly in Mollie's room, watching and talking to her. Randy began, "Mollie, it's Randy. Eve, Teddy, and Stu are here too."

"Honey we love you…" Eve added. "We're waiting on you to wake up."

Ted chimed in, "There's a lot of people praying for you right now. I know Dad's got his entire church praying."

Stu stood silent. He didn't know what to expect when they entered Mollie's room. His sweet friend lay there, beaten and broken. He finally gathered his thoughts, "Mollie, we're here for you."

John made his way to the cafeteria to find Brooklyn sitting in a corner booth, wiping stray tears. John walked over and sat down.

"Anything?" she asked.

"No…" John replied. "Everyone else went in to see her while her parents are gone to book a hotel."

Brooklyn nodded and stared off into space.

John asked, "What happened?"

"He tried to apologize," she scoffed. "How could he do this to me? I told him what I had been through before and he still goes off and…"

"Don't get too upset, B. This isn't the place," John reminded her.

"I know…" she agreed. "I'm just…"

"I know you're angry…and you've got every right to be. But, if you care for him you're going to have to talk to him," John advised.

"I just can't right now…" Brooklyn whispered. "Not until we know Mollie's ok." John reached over and grabbed his friend's hand. He knew she was hurting, but she was strong enough to solve her own issues.

"B, can I ask you something?" John asked. Brooklyn nodded. "That night in Memphis…when Mollie said she ran into the doorframe of her room. Was she lying?"

Brooklyn didn't know what to say. She had promised to keep Mollie's secret, but there really was no need to now. Everyone knew who had done this to Mollie. "Yeah," she whispered. "John, she swore me to secrecy. I couldn't tell you."

"God, she was married to a psychopath. And I was totally gullible. Why did she lie?" John sighed as he sat back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his tired face.

"She was ashamed," Brooklyn told him.

"If I ever get my hands on this son of a bitch…" John said through clinched teeth.

"I know…" she said. This time it was her turn to calm him down.

"You know, there's no sense in us all being here. Why don't you guys go stay at Mollie's place? I'd feel better if someone was there. Who knows where this idiot may be?" John suggested.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah. I promise to call you if anything happens," John replied.

The two of them stood up. Brooklyn threw her arms around her friend's neck. Brooklyn whispered in his ear, "She's going to be ok." John nodded and then two of then walked back up to Mollie's room.

By this time, Mollie's parents had arrived back at the hospital. There was a lot of sitting, silence and staring for a little while until Brooklyn suggested that everyone eat and turn in for the night.

"We all can't sit here and stare at her." The blonde sighed.

Ann nodded. "John, are you sure you want to sit here all night? If you get tired, Jerry and I will trade you, just give us a call."

The tired yet determined man shook his head. "No, Mrs. James, I'll be fine." He lightly smiled.

Everyone got up from their seats and headed toward the door. Everyone told John goodbye and gave him reassuring hugs, leaving him alone in the cold room with Mollie. He pulled his chair closer to her bed and watched her once again. He stood up to brush a piece of her red hair out from her face. He leaned over and kissed her in the middle of her forehead.

"Let's see what's on TV," he said to Mollie as he fiddled with the TV controls on her bed. He flipped through the channels and stopped at the local news.

_Police are still on the lookout for a suspect connected with the assault on World Wrestling Entertainment employee Mollie Garrison. This image was taken from a nearby security camera. If you've seen this man, please call (203) 352-TIPS._

John gripped Mollie's bed railing tightly as he tried to contain his anger. He looked over once again at his love. "Mollie, why didn't you tell me he hit you back in Memphis? I…I don't know what I could have done but I would have done everything in my power to protect you."

The red head lying in bed gave no reaction either way and he sat there, in the most uncomfortable piece of furniture ever designed, holding her hand as he flipped through the few channels the hospital provided. Local news was reporting Mollie's story on the hour so that was out of the question by form of entertainment. Finally, he settled on Discovery's marathon of Deadliest Catch. A good two hours more into the night and John was sleeping, his head hung low, chin to his chest, his strong hand still holding Mollie's delicate one.

Once the crew arrived at Mollie's place, Randy and Ted called home to their wives to check in and give a full report on Mollie. Sam seemed terribly worried and Kristin made sure to tell Teddy that everyone was praying for their hometown girl and their friend. Eve followed Brooklyn into the guest room and sat beside her on the bed.

"You alright?" She asked the blonde.

"Peachy." Brooklyn sighed. "I'm tired. I've been at the hospital every day since it happened. This is the first time I've been back since her parents arrived."

"I mean with Stu." Eve got to the point.

"No, but it is what it is. He's not my problem or priority right now. My friend is." Brooklyn swallowed hard. "I don't get it and I'm not about to try and understand. I'm hurt, deeply hurt."

Stu overheard the girls talking as he made his way from the bathroom. His face still stung from Brooklyn's slap earlier but at least the red mark was fading. He was truthful when he said he loved her. And guilt ate away at him with each passing glance in her direction and each time she spoke. Hearing the girls coming towards the door he swiftly headed for the living room. There was nothing he could do but allow time.

"I'm hungry. I say we order some pizza and get some rest." Ted suggested.

"I would agree." Eve added as she and B joined the men.

"I'll call it in." Brooklyn told them as she headed for the kitchen.

When she came back in, the only room left was a spot on the couch beside Stu. It wasn't purposely done that way, it just happened. Without trying to cause a scene, Brooklyn sat down and positioned herself so she wouldn't be remotely close to touching him. It wasn't meant in a childish way, just the thought of touching him, being that close to him, made her skin crawl right now. She felt dirty even looking at him.

Not even a glance was shared between the two and the room became uncomfortable to sit in for everyone.

"I'm going to go start some laundry." Brooklyn jumped from the couch and left everyone glaring at Stu awkwardly.

He attempted to say something but nothing came out of his mouth but a sigh. The doorbell rang rescuing any conversation that would have happened before then.

The constant beeping of machines is what she'd heard first, then the click of her oxygen followed by the feeling of someone close to her. Panic set in momentarily as she found her eye lids to be heavy from a deep sleep. She felt herself twitch and grab hold of whatever was in her hand.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open and came into focus. She had trouble distinguishing where she was because her eyes were blurry. As things came into focus, she realized that she was in a hospital.

But why was she in a hospital? Then the massive gash in the back of her head began to ache. The memories of the day were slowly coming back. She knew that something or someone had her hand. She slowly turned her head to see John sitting in the chair with his head hung low, asleep.

"John..." she whispered with a raspy, dry voice. He didn't move, so she whispered again, "John..."

John felt his dream was really speaking to him until he felt a tug on his hand instantly waking him. "Mollie...Mollie!" He looked at her and saw the glassy look in her green eyes as she focused on him.

"John." She said again, still dry and raspy. Tear stung her eyes as did his.

"Hold on baby. I have gotta get a nurse." John kissed the top of her hand and made sure to only go as far as she could still see him. He grabbed a nurse passing in the hall and told her that Mollie was awake.

The nurse, who had been in to see Mollie earlier, smiled. "Welcome back Ms. Garrison."

Mollie reached for John's hand. John said, "Mollie, I'll be right here. Let them look at you." He stayed in her field of vision as the nurse examined her.

The nurse said, "I'll inform her doctor and have him come down. He's still on call tonight. Call me if she needs anything."

John nodded as she left. He turned his attention back to Mollie. "Hey baby..."

Mollie couldn't respond. Her lip quivered and her tears were brimming full of unshed tears. She sniffled and John just gently held her close for a brief moment as she cried. He smoothed out her hair on the one side, careful not to touch her wound and whispered to her, "I'm here, baby. Nothing is going to happen to you again. I promise. You're safe now."

After a while she calmed down and was able to speak. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you so much. I was so scared." He whispered and stroked the side of her face. "I came straight from Japan."

"John…" she began. "I'm so sorry."

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," he assured her.

"Yes I do," she continued. "I haven't been totally honest with you."

"Brooklyn told me. I know. It's ok," he tried to quiet her.

Mollie took a deep breath and sighed, "You need to hear the whole story."

John tried to quiet her. "Mollie, please rest until the doctor gets here. We'll talk later."

"No…" Mollie fought back a fresh round of tears. "Now…" John nodded and waited for her to continue. "I really don't know how I ever let it get like this. Ben…he…he just changed. I should have walked out the first time he hit me, but I thought I could change him."

"Baby…he didn't want to change," John told her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But…" she tried to say but he interrupted her.

"This is not your fault in any way whatsoever. Mollie, if you love someone you don't hurt them. I'd never hurt you – physically or emotionally. It doesn't work that way." She nodded as more tears ran down her bruised face.

He paused and said, "Let's get you well and then we can talk about it." He paused and then remembered the large group of folks who were waiting on news. "I've got to call your parents and everyone and tell them you're awake."

"My parents?" she asked, confused.

"Yeah baby…they're here," he told her. "It's not exactly now I imagined meeting them."

"They weren't too rough, were they?" Mollie laughed and then stopped when she felt a pain in her side.

"They're wonderful," John smiled. "Baby…I'm going to step out in the hall and call everyone. I'll be right back."

"Who is here besides my parents?" she asked.

"Stu, Brooklyn, Teddy, Randy, and Eve," John told her. "They're crashing at your house and your parents are at a hotel. I'll be right outside the door. I'm also going to see if I can hurry your doctor along."

He stepped outside the door and first called Mollie's mother. After being woken up, she and her father were overjoyed that their baby was back from the brink. They said they'd be back at the hospital within the hour. Then John called Brooklyn. It was John's turn to wake Brooklyn up from sleep.

"John?" Brooklyn answered.

"She's awake," he smiled as he looked back at Mollie through the room's window.

"Oh thank God," Brooklyn exclaimed, breathing a huge sigh of relief. "I'll tell everyone and we'll be there soon."

"I know she'll be glad to see you," John replied. "Bye."

By this time, Mollie's doctor had made his way into her room and began his examination. John stayed back toward the door as Dr. Miles wrote in Mollie's chart. Then Dr. Miles turned to John.

"Mr. Cena," Dr. Miles said, "Come in."

John was going to introduce himself until he realized he was already recognized. He asked, "How is she?"

"Well, it's a great sign that she's awake. We still need to redo the x-rays and MRI to see if the swelling and bleeding is still present in her brain. But, it has to be down or she wouldn't have awaken," Dr. Miles stated.

Mollie over heard what the doctor had said and hadn't realized the severity of Ben's beating. John let the doctor leave and sat by her side.

"I didn't know it was that bad." Mollie sighed.

"You've been out a couple of days." John added. Just then, word must have come around that she was awake and an officer approached her room.

"Ms. Garrison, I'm Officer Shields. I was told you were awake." He said as he stepped into the room.

John knew this was coming. He had just hoped it wasn't an hour after she'd waken. "I'll be right outside. I need to call your parents."

Mollie grabbed his hand. "Don't leave me."

", I'm afraid he is going to have to wait outside." Officer Shields explained.

Regretfully, Mollie nodded and let John go to wait outside the hall. Mollie turned her attention to the man in blue next to her bedside. "Go ahead."

"I just want you to start from the beginning. I'll have questions at the end." Officer Shields pressed.


	26. Chapter 26 If I Had Lost Her

Meanwhile, as Mollie told the officer her story and John was informing her parents of their daughter's current condition, Brooklyn was rounding everyone up.

"Come on; let's go, up and out." Brooklyn started to turn on every light possible causing Randy, who'd taken the couch and Stu the floor to flinch. Teddy won the coin toss for the office futon.

"What the hell Brooklyn?" Stu squinted.

"Shut up, get dressed." She threw his things at him. "Mollie's awake."

"I'll get the car." Randy yawned.

Eve and Teddy emerged from the bedrooms, dressed and ready. Brooklyn in her sweats followed Randy to the car. Stu trailed behind. Within in a few minutes they were all on their way to Stamford Memorial.

Mollie's parents arrived at the hospital and were ecstatic that she was awake. Mollie apologized for not letting them know how bad her life with Ben had actually been. She was very surprised to see her crew come visit her.

Brooklyn entered first and smiled when she saw her friend awake. "Hey honey…" Brooklyn whispered.

"B…" Mollie replied. Then she spotted the rest of the crew. "Hey y'all!" she smiled.

"That's what we've been waiting on," Randy said as he gently hugged Mollie and kissed her cheek. Everyone else followed suit.

"How are you feeling?" Teddy asked.

"Like I've been run over by a truck," Mollie laughed then remembered her ribs.

The room laughed at Mollie's attempt at a joke but they couldn't really imagine what she'd been through. It was a crowded room for a little while until Teddy announced that he was heading out to go home and was happy that Mollie was better and would be sure to give Kristin a full report when he got home. Randy wasn't too far from his departure and he too promised that he'd check in on her. Eve left to head home as well.

And by the time her parents had left to eat dinner with John, which left Brooklyn and Stu in room with the red head. She had noticed it since they'd arrived, something was off. And it didn't disprove Mollie's theory when she realized that the two hadn't spoken a word or had touched one another since then as well.

"What gives?" Mollie finally asked.

"What?" Brooklyn asked.

"You heard me. What's wrong with the two of you?" she asked again.

"Mollie, now's not the time," Brooklyn mumbled.

Stu got up and said, "I'm going to try and catch a flight home. Mollie, I'm glad you're doing well. Please call if you need anything." He turned and left without saying a word to Brooklyn. He knew it wasn't the time or the place.

Mollie turned to Brooklyn. "What?"

"Mollie, I'd rather not talk about it right now," Brooklyn fumed.

"B, I've got nothing but time."

Brooklyn caved. "I will if you promise not to get upset."

"I can't promise that but go ahead," Mollie replied.

"Stu…Stu cheated on me while in Japan," Brooklyn finally blurted out.

"If I weren't in this bed, I'd kill him right now," Mollie exclaimed, trying not to lose her temper.

"We don't need for you to get upset right now," Brooklyn sighed.

Mollie asked, "How do you know?"

"Eve told me. Sent me a pic. I just…" Brooklyn stammered.

"I know…" Mollie assured her. "Have you talked to him?"

"I just can't right now…not with you…"

Mollie took her friend by the hand and pulled her down on the bed with her. "I know how you two are. Granted…he's made the most boneheaded, stupidest mistake but I do believe he cares for you. I know you care for him. Talk to him."

"In time I will." Brooklyn sighed. "It's not my main focus."

"Don't worry about me. Lord knows I have plenty of others doing that." Mollie joked. "John's going to have a hard time letting me out of his sights."

"With good reason though." Brooklyn added.

"I know and to be honest, I don't want to be out of his sight. Who knows where the hell Ben is, and if he's still around and hasn't been caught, I don't want to be alone." Mollie said sadly.

"You won't be. But you know he will have to go back to work. I still have two more weeks off and if you want to stay in your own place instead of heading back to your parents' house, I'm more than happy to be your temporary roommate." B offered.

"We'll talk about it. I haven't seen my parents in a while, so I might go home for a little while," Mollie told her.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

Mollie replied, "I don't know how to thank you for everything. I remember being in my office, but then it gets a little fuzzy after that."

"That's when I got the phone call about Stu," B explained. "When I came to the garage, you were lying on the ground in a pool of blood. I was so scared. I had never seen anything like that in my life."

"I'm sorry…" Mollie apologized.

"No…no…no…" Brooklyn told her. "Don't apologize."

"I feel horrible." Mollie shook her head gently.

"Don't. I'm the one that felt horrible. If I hadn't taken that phone call from Eve, I would have been there to save you. I could have stopped him." Brooklyn blamed herself.

"No one is to blame but the culprit himself." John said as he walked back into the room with Mollie's parents.

"Hey…" Mollie smiled as she received gentle hugs and kisses from the three.

Brooklyn broke in, "I think I'm going to go back to your place and then I'll see you in the morning. I'll let the four of you catch up." She hugged her friend and assured her she'd be back in the morning and left.

Ann looked toward her daughter, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm better," Mollie replied. "I'm actually a little hungry."

"That's a good sign," Jerry laughed.

"Want me to order you something, sweetie?" Ann asked.

"That's okay Momma. The nurse said she'd be bringing supper by soon." Mollie smiled.

John couldn't help but notice that Mollie's accent was turned on thick when she was around her parents. He couldn't believe he was so close to losing her. If Brooklyn hadn't found her, she'd be gone. He had his friend to thank for that and by the grace of God, because there was no way that John would ever thank Ben for Mollie ending up in Connecticut and working for the WWE, he'd be down his miserable dark hole still from his divorce.

"Did you guys have a good time at dinner?" Mollie asked in general. Nods were made from the threesome. "Baby, you didn't let Momma talk your ear off did you?"

"Are we filled with jokes today?" Ann laughed at her daughter.

"Mollie..." John caught her attention. She hummed and looked over to him. "If you don't mind, your parents are going to sit here with you until I come back. I've got to see about getting a hotel room in order to shower and clean up."

"No." Mollie stated. "If you hurry, you can catch up with B. Tell her I told you that you were staying there."

John was about to protest but thought it would be rude if he did so in front of her parents. "Alright." He pecked her on the cheek gently and shook her father's hand before hugging Ann and heading out to find the blonde that hopefully hadn't left yet.

"So, you didn't grill him too hard did you?" Mollie asked with a slight glare to her father and a wink at her mother.

"Mollie…" her dad groaned.

"Daddy, I know what y'all are probably thinking. It's too soon…I don't know him…That…"

Her mother interrupted her, "We like John."

"Really?" Mollie asked, surprised.

"He's a good guy," her dad chimed in, "and he makes you happy. We had a pretty good talk while at dinner."

_Flashback_

"_John, we have no idea where we are…" Ann laughed. "Where can we eat?"_

"_There's a quiet place right down the street from here," John remembered. "I can drive if you want."_

"_Wonderful," Ann sighed. "This traffic is too much for me."_

_John smiled as the three of them got into their rental and sped away. John had remembered a quiet sandwich shop a few blocks from the hospital. It would be relatively deserted this time of day so they'd be able to eat in peace. _

_They arrived at Phil's a few minutes later and made their way inside. Phil, the owner, was helping his staff wipe off tables._

"_Well hello John," Phil greeted him. "Are you in town for meetings?"_

"_I wish," John replied. "Have you seen the news?"_

"_Yeah…who was that? She worked for WWE, right?" he asked._

"_Yeah…that's my girlfriend," John answered._

"_I'm so sorry, man. What can I do for you?" Phil asked._

"_These are Mollie's parents' Ann & Jerry. We've been at the hospital with her and just need some food and a quiet place," John told him._

_Phil smiled warmly and welcomed them in. He was used to WWE talent and employees coming in and out of the shop all the time. He was more than happy to oblige. He ushered them to a back room and took their orders. _

_As they waited for food to arrive, John broke the uncomfortable silence. He said, "I am so glad to meet you guys, except I wish it were under different circumstances."_

_Jerry replied, "We are too, son."_

_Ann asked, "So…tell us a little about yourself John."_

_John nodded and proceeded to tell him about his life – growing up the 2__nd__ oldest of five boys in West Newbury, MA. He told them about his parents and other tidbits about his life. _

_Jerry then asked the sixty four million dollar question, "Have you been married before?"_

_John sighed, "Yes sir. I'm recently divorced. That's something Mollie and I have in common."_

_Ann replied, "Oh…do you mind…?"_

_John finished her sentence, "…telling you what happened? No ma'am. Not at all." He took a deep breath and began, "This job takes you away from home a lot. While I was away, my wife cheated on me several times. I just so happened to catch her in the act one day a few months ago."_

"_That's terrible," Ann gasped._

"_Yes ma'am, but it's nothing compared to what your sweet daughter has been through," John explained. "Part of Mollie's responsibilities with the WWE is to meet with the superstars to coordinate their schedules and commitments. She takes very good care of us. We would meet each week after Raw, normally at the hotel's restaurant or bar, and talk. She's such a wonderful person, and…I must say I love her very much."_

_Mollie's dad felt the need to speak his peace, "John, I wouldn't be a good Daddy if I didn't say this. She's a grown woman and can make her own decisions. I just want what's best for her. But, if you hurt her…and I mean in anyway…hell hath no fury. You'll never be allowed to see her again. I understand that you're a celebrity, and that you can have any woman in the world you want. You've chosen the best in Mollie. Don't screw that up."_

"_I understand, sir," John nodded, acknowledging to himself that he'd be the same way if he had a daughter._

_To clear any tension, Ann said, "John, we understand you have a busy schedule but we'd love for you to come see us sometime."_

"_I'd like that very much," John replied._

While Mollie and her parents chatted over John and their dinner together among other things, John had managed to catch up to Brooklyn and the two of them were headed back to Mollie's apartment.

It was quiet the first few minutes of the ride until Cena spoke up. "You hanging in there?"

Brooklyn just nodded in response. "I'm tired, but I'm good."

"You know you could go home. I'm here, Ann and James are here and you know now that she's awake, Stephanie is going to poke her head in." John suggested.

"I know. I just don't want to." Brooklyn said. "You can't stay here forever. You'll have to be back on the road in a week. We got lucky with the double taping and my concussion."

It was John's turn to nod. "I know. I just don't want to leave her."

"None of us do." Brooklyn sighed. "What are you going to do? I offered to stay with her."

"I'm sure she'll want to go home with her parents. But it all depends on what her doctors say too. We just have to take it one day at a time." John responded.

"What's going to happen if they catch him?" She asked.

"I'll make sure he's charged with everything he can be and has zero chance of coming after her again." John stated firmly.

"And if they don't?" Brooklyn didn't want to say it but it was a possibility. For all they knew, Ben was in Mexico or Canada at this point.

"She'll never leave my side." John again stated firmly. "Some one will always be with her, even if I have to pay for private security."

Brooklyn nodded again and the silence resumed. It was this time B that broke it.

"What did you do when you found out about Liz the first time?" She asked quietly.

John sighed. "I took the blame and knew it was because of my job that things happened the way they did."

"Was it when you first started out?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yeah, more when I was gone more. Just around the time of the Marine and being Champ." He answered honestly. She nodded. "B, you need to at least talk to him, find out why he…"

"I don't need to. I am pretty sure there was not a single reason as to why he did it." She sniffled. This wasn't the time to think about this, nor to start getting emotional. "Things were great. We had this amazing week, not a single argument, I let him in and broke those walls down. For what? Absolutely nothing. I can guarantee that if you were to ask him why, he'd have no answer. How am I supposed to forgive something like that? How am I supposed to move on and past that? We're done and I need to make that clear."

"Don't go into this with guns blazing. You need to be calm about it or you'll end up really regretting everything you say. I'm not taking his side, I'm definitely on yours, but I know you well enough to know that you wear your heart on your sleeve and you're trying not to break weak, but baby girl there are times where you just need to let it all out and let it all go." John sighed.

"If I go home, all I'll see is the week we had together play through my mind." Brooklyn said sadly. "I can't do that yet. Besides, I don't want to think about any of it until our girl comes home and is safe."

"If anything Brooklyn, remember the good times then." John said as she pulled into Mollie's parking spot. "In the end, if you're together or not, it will work itself out for what's best for both of you."

Those were John's final words to her as he went inside the apartment and headed for Mollie's shower. He wasn't going to waste any time looking around and seeing her place for the first time. He'd leave that for when Mollie would come home. His focus was showering, changing clothes and getting back to Mollie.

Brooklyn grabbed a piece of leftover pizza and sat down at Mollie's bar while John finished getting ready. As he walked out of Mollie's bathroom, a small 4x6 picture frame caught his eye. It was a picture of him and Mollie from just a few weeks ago in Daytona Beach. He smiled at the memory and looked at Mollie's face. Her red hair was blowing in the gentle breeze as she hugged John's side. He took the picture with her camera since he had the longer arms. He also looked at his face – happy, content. The thought of losing the short, red haired reason for that happiness was almost more than he could comprehend.

He sat the picture back on her dresser and walked into the living room. Brooklyn had finished eating and was sound asleep on the couch. John knew she was exhausted, so he covered her up with a nearby throw and kissed the top of her head. He'd send her a text later to explain his disappearing act.


	27. Chapter 27 The Easy Way Out

A/N: I just want to take a few moments and say thank you once again for the tremendous response to Better Life. I am without words. I started working on this almost 6 months ago, and with the continuous help of SoCalStar529 I think we've brought these characters to life and shown you a story of love, healing and redemption.

Dawn broke on a rusted pickup truck sitting in the middle of a field in north Mississippi. Ben Garrison had been sitting in that very truck for the last few hours – crying and thinking. He had driven for almost 24 hours straight – only stopping momentarily to fill up on gasoline. He hadn't even been home.

The sun began to peak over the hills in the distance. Thoughts of Mollie ran through his mind like wildfire. How could he have become this evil monster? How could he have murdered the only person that ever matter to him? Mollie's bloodstained hair…her swollen face…God, what had happened?

He reached over to the passenger seat and picked up a small pistol. Sure, he kept an arsenal of weapons in the house for deer hunting but this one was new. He bought it at a gun shop in Stamford. He only wanted to use it to scare Mollie. He had no intention of hurting her. If only she hadn't resisted him. He just wanted to bring her back home…where she belonged. Then he remembered her limp, lifeless body has it lay on the concrete. He had killed the one person he had truly cared about. Life was no longer worth living.

Meanwhile Mollie and her parents were on their way to Mississippi. Mollie had been released from the hospital the day before after a battery of tests. The swelling in her brain had gone down to nothing. She was put on strict rest orders as well as given pain medication for any headaches that might result from the concussion. John was to fly out that day to join the rest of the crew, who had checked in regularly as promised on Mollie's condition. He hated leaving her once again with everything in his power, but he and she both knew it was coming.

_Flashback_

_Dr. Miles had signed Mollie's release orders and her parents had arrived back from the hotel to help her get ready to leave. Brooklyn came by the next morning as promised to check on Mollie before leaving for California. She knew it would be so hard to go home, but Mollie was in good hands with her parents. John also came by before flying out to catch up with the WWE crew._

"_Hey baby," he said as he come in._

"_Hey…" she replied, equally as down. "I…uh…I think I'm going home with my parents for a while. Dr. Miles has referred me to a neurologist in Memphis for check ups."_

"_That's great," John replied. "And I know your folks are glad to have you home."_

_Mollie sighed as she saw the sadness sweep across his face. "John, I know what you're thinking. But I'll be fine. Momma and Daddy are both taking off work for a couple of weeks and they'll be home with me. I'll never be alone."_

"_But…" he protested._

"_I'll be fine," she insisted. "And I promise to check in with you throughout the day. You can call me at anytime, alright?"_

_John nodded, "I know. I just wish you knew how it felt before I left before. I kept having this feeling – like I shouldn't leave."_

_Mollie told him, "If we don't live our lives, he wins. The cops will find him. I have faith, and you should, too."_

_John marveled at her faith and courage. He pulled her close in an embrace and kissed her like it was the last time he'd have the chance. He pulled away from her and smiled._

_He said, "You know…you're pretty damn amazing. You know that?"_

_Mollie smiled. She knew she had someone in her life now that sure made her feel that way._

Mollie and her parents arrived at their home that afternoon. Some of Mollie's family had already been by their house and helped prepare her old room for her. They also had brought by a ton of food. Mollie walked in the house and took a deep breath.

She smiled, "It's good to be home."

Her parents nodded in agreement and helped her get settled into her old room. It still contained the same full size bed on which she slept as a teenager. That bed had been in one of her grandparents' bedroom and was given to her when they passed away. Mollie cherished that bed and swore that it would be in her own home one day.

Mollie's dad looked out the front window in suspicion at the sight of a county sheriff's department car as it pulled up in their driveway. He left Ann with Mollie to help her get settled in the house as he met the deputy outside.

"Mr. James?" the deputy asked.

"Yes," Jerry replied.

"I'm Deputy Stevens," the young man continued. "I have come to inform you of news about Ben Garrison."

"Please tell me you caught that son of a bitch for what he did to my daughter," Jerry snarled.

"Sir," the deputy stammered, "Mr. Garrison was found in his truck this morning with a gunshot wound to the head. His body will be sent to Jackson for an autopsy but it's apparently a suicide. He left a note apologizing for murdering your daughter. He claims it was an accident."

"Mollie's not dead but he damn near killed her," her dad replied with clinched teeth and fists. He was glad that the monster was gone and now burning in hell but he was angry that he took the coward's way out.

"Will you please inform Mollie? In a day or so we'll need statements from all three of you for our investigation, but it looks pretty cut and dry," Deputy Stevens informed them. "Good day sir." He nodded and returned to his squad car and left.

Jerry ran his hand over his graying hair. He did think it was best for this news to come from him, but he wasn't looking forward to it. He returned to the house to see Ann and Mollie laughing over a cup of coffee.

"Who was that?" Ann asked.

He turned to Mollie, "That was a guy from the sheriff's department. Ben's dead."

Mollie's arm went limp, causing her coffee cup to fall to the floor. She looked up at her father. "What?"

"He killed himself," her dad reported.

Mollie stood up and headed for the door. Her mom asked, "Where are you going?" Mollie didn't respond. She headed to the porch swing right outside the door. Ann wanted to follow her but Jerry held her back.

"Let her go," he whispered.

In a daze, Mollie walked outside on the porch and plopped down in the swing. She wiped away stray tears from her eyes. Why was she upset? Why was she crying? This monster had almost killed her but yet it hurt to know that he was gone. Then right at the precise moment her cell phone rang. It was a welcome sight.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey baby," John said on the other line. "How are you feeling?" When she didn't immediately answer, John went into panic mode. "What's wrong?"

"Uh…Ben was found dead this morning," she reported.

"Wow…" John replied. "Do they know what happened?"

"He killed himself," she answered.

John laughed to himself, "That son of a bitch took the easy way out."

"John…" she warned him.

"Why are you even worried about it?" he asked. "He's gone and won't hurt you anymore."

"John," she explained, "I…he…no matter what kind of man he was…he was my husband at one time. And even though he was sick and needed help, he was someone's son. It's just a little too much to deal with right now."

John sighed. Even though he was glad that the maniac was gone, he wasn't going to press her about these feelings. He once again couldn't imagine what she was going through. "Do you need me to come there?" he asked.

"No…no…no. I'm ok. You've got work to do anyway," she told him. "I'm going to be fine."

"I miss you already," John admitted. "When we get through this weekend's shows and Raw on Monday, I'm getting on the first plane to come see you."

"I'd like that," she smiled. "I miss you too. And I love you."

"I love you, too." he replied. "Are you going to come back to work?"

"Are you kidding me? Leave the job I love? Hell no!" she laughed. "I just need some time away to heal and I'll be back."

"I know," he said. "Listen, I've got to head to a COC event. I'll call you after the show tonight. I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied. "Bye." She hung up her phone and once again got lost in her thoughts.

As Mollie sat on the porch for a while, swinging back and forth, a million thoughts ran though her head. Could, should she, would she go to the funeral? Could she, should she, would she pay her respects to at least his parents? Dealing with the news of her ex-husband's death wasn't how she planned on spending her recovery time at home.

While the sun started setting, Mollie's cell rang again. It was Stephanie. She wasn't sure if she should answer, but in the long run the heiress was her boss.

"Hello." Mollie quietly answered.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." Stephanie said.

Mollie had to roll her eyes. So typical of her boss, while she cared, she wasn't one for hellos. "I've been better but I'm doing alright. I'm in good hands now that I'm home."

"Has there been any word on finding him?" She asked.

"Yeah." Mollie said sadly. She still couldn't grasp the issue but it was what it was. "A deputy came to the house a couple of hours ago and said that Ben had taken his own life."

Stephanie gasped. "Oh Mollie, I'm so sorry."

"Thanks." Mollie didn't know what else to say.

"I want to let to know too that we're going to be covering all of your medical expenses on behalf of the company. You're an asset Mollie and we'd hate to lose you."

"I wasn't planning on leaving." Mollie assured her. But she knew what getting at. Stephanie wasn't just being generous; she was hoping Mollie wouldn't sue the company for letting an unauthorized person into the parking garage.

"When would you like to come back?" Stephanie got to the point of her call.

Mollie sighed. "I don't know. I need to heal up and figure it all out."

"I understand. I do. Mollie, I want you to take care of yourself and if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call." Stephanie offered.

"Thank you. I'll talk to you soon then." Mollie said and hung up.

If dealing with her ex-husband's sudden death wasn't enough, Mollie had to deal with the contemplation of when to return to work.

A couple of days later, while Mollie was dealing with what had been dealt to her, Brooklyn was on her way back to Stamford.

When she had arrived home, she sat in her pajamas and had a good cry about what had happened with Mollie and how she tried blaming it on Stu because if Eve had never called her when Stu cheated, she could have stopped Ben. But then she remembered what Mollie had said and that there would have been nothing anyone could have done. And as she thought about that, her mind traveled to Stu and his rendezvous with Maryse in Japan. At first B wanted to drive right up to Maryse's place and rip the French Canadian's extensions out, in the long run choking her with them but it took two to tango and so both parties were to blame.

Then she called Mike and did the only thing she knew to do and that was sit down and talk with him about how he felt. Mike was crushed but didn't put it past Maryse. Their fight had been terrible and that had ended up with them splitting up. Aparently storylines were the major cause of it as most make ups, hook ups and break ups were in the WWE. And after dinner with Mike, B felt she needed to make some changes.

She called Stamford and scheduled a meeting with the chairman himself. She booked her flight and that brought her to today, en route to Stamford.

Dressed in her business best, she headed in a car that was sent for her to WWE Global Headquarters. From there she took the elevator up to Vince's penthouse office and was sent directly inside by his assistant.

What Brooklyn hadn't expected was to see Vince and Stephanie both there. Straightening her blouse, she took the chairman's invitation to sit.

"What brings you here, Brooklyn?" Vince asked.

"I wanted to personally hand you my formal resignation." She said, presenting them with an addressed envelope.

"Brooklyn… really?" Stephanie questioned. Brooklyn was a personal pick for the heiress.

"Yes." B was doing her best to keep it professional and not get emotional but it wasn't easy. "As much as I would love to be a major player in this company, I just can't anymore. This is my life and always has been. It always will be. And I am deeply grateful of the time and money you've invested into me and my character. Being a Diva for the WWE has always been a dream of mine and I really thank you for allowing me to live that dream."

"Is it the money?" Vince asked.

Brooklyn had to lightly laugh. "No," she shook her head. "It's not the money."

"Is it certain talent?" Stephanie asked. Brooklyn felt honored that she had that much pull but shook her head.

"No." She smiled. Although she would have enjoyed throwing both Stu and Maryse under the bus at that moment but she didn't hate either of them. In fact she cared for Stu quite a bit and knew that this was his life just as much hers. "I just need a break."

"Can we compromise?" Vince asked as he looked over her letter briefly.

"It depends." Brooklyn smiled tearfully.

"I'll agree to give you a year's pay along with your percentage of merchandising sales if you agree to appear at Mania in the coming year and if I ever need anything!" Vince sighed. "You're an asset to the Divas as well as this company. I can personally say, and completely off character here, I will miss you."

Brooklyn smiled warmly and thanked Vince. The three of them talked for a while longer, ironing out the details of her release and official word would be sent by 5 pm eastern time that evening.


	28. Chapter 28 Moving On

Paul Lloyd, better know to the WWE Universe as Justin Gabriel, was sitting in the locker room, ready for the house show and messing around on his Twitter when he saw a post from WWE. 'WWE has come to terms on the release of WWE Diva Brooklyn Greene'.

"What?" Paul said aloud. He took his finger and clicked on the link displayed on his iPhone. Once the page loaded he read the full article.

'World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms in the release of WWE Diva Brooklyn Greene. Greene has been with the company for several years and we wish her the best in her future endeavors.'

"This isn't good." He said just as David Otunga and Stu entered the room.

"What isn't?" Stu asked.

Paul swallowed hard. "Have the website? Or Twitter?"

"No. I haven't had time. Why?" Stu asked.

David seemed to not have known either. "What's up Paul?"

"They released Brooklyn." Paul handed him his phone and Stu read over the statement.

"I have to make a phone call." Stu said grabbing his bag and leaving after he handed Paul his phone back.

"It's that bad huh?" David asked.

Heath who had been in the room the whole time finally spoke up. "They never worked things out after Japan. They haven't spoken at all."

"That would mean that their still in limbo and he never saw this coming." Paul pointed out.

"Bingo." David added.

John walked into the locker room past Stu and heard the tail end of the conversation. "Hey guys," he greeted them.

"How's Mollie?" David asked.

"She's good. She's home with her parents resting," John replied.

Heath asked, "Did they ever find the guy?"

"Yeah with a bullet in his head this morning. Son of a bitch killed himself," John scoffed.

Paul exclaimed, "Really…"

John asked, "Were you guys talking about Brooklyn?"

Paul remembered what they had been discussing, "Oh yeah…have you talked to B? Everyone knows you guys are close."

John replied, "Not in a few days. Why?"

Paul pulled his phone back out and showed it to John. John's eyes grew as big as quarters. "You've got to be kidding me."

David asked, "What the hell happened?"

John shook his head. "I don't know but I'm going to find out." He also left to go make a couple of phone calls.

John picked up his phone and clicked on Brooklyn's number. He hoped and prayed she'd answer.

"John...not right now," she answered.

"No...right now. What's going on?" he asked.

"John..."

"No Brooklyn. I think we all deserve to know. Was it your move or Vince's?" he asked.

"Mine."

John was floored. "Why B?"

"I just need something else. I need to move on." Brooklyn sighed. She was holding tears back as well as the truth.

"If it's about him and Maryse, talk it out, don't quit." John grumbled.

"As much as that would be nice, it's not an option. I'm sorry to have it go down like this but if I had told you or Mollie, I would have stayed, you would have talked me into it." Brooklyn replied.

"B, you can't do this." John ran a hand over his face. "This is going to break her. It's bad enough Ben is dead."

"What?" Brooklyn was shocked.

"Yes. They found him this morning." John told her.

"Oh poor Mollie." B sighed. "It's too late John, it's been done."

"You might be wrong," John thought. "I'll let you go and call you after the show." John hung up the phone and immediately made a call to Vince.

Meanwhile, Mollie had finished eating supper with her family and they were relaxing on the back porch. Mollie knew John would be calling sometime either before or after their show so she kept her phone nearby.

Ann looked over at Mollie as she glanced at her phone for the millionth time. "He'll call honey. And I don't want to catch you looking at work emails. You're off work recuperating and you need to rest."

Mollie laughed, "I know Momma."

Ann laughed and let her daughter be. Mollie had a million things running through her mind. Should she or shouldn't she go to Ben's funeral. It would surely be printed in the paper and no one knew of their background, let alone what had happened to her. Work was far from her mind and was thankful that Stephanie's assistant had been assigned to handle Mollie's intake for the time being.

'Poor girl.' Mollie thought. 'As if she didn't already have enough going on.'

It was a moment after that thought when her phone rang and Mollie smiled seeing it was John.

"'Bout time." She smiled through the phone.

John knew she was smiling and thought of how happy that made him. His girl was nearly back to her old self. It would take time but she'd be there. Now for the bad news he didn't want to have to share. "Hey baby."

"How'd the show go?" She asked him.

"Fine as always. I'm tired though." He replied.

"I bet. It's been a busy couple of weeks." Mollie sighed.

"How 'ya doing?" John asked.

"I'm alright, considering." John knew exactly what Mollie was talking about.

"Baby, when did you last talk to B?" John finally asked. 'Better now than from someone else', he thought.

"Not since I've been here, why?" Mollie asked. "Is everything alright? Did she and Stu talk, and hopefully make up?"

"Not exactly." John sighed.

Mollie didn't like the sighing one bit coming from her boyfriend. "John, what's going on? Is she alright?' Warning signs and flashing red lights were going off in the red head's mind.

"Mollie, Brooklyn was released today." He told her.

"WHAT?" Mollie said as she leaped up from the swing. Ann and Jerry both took notice of their daughter's demeanor. "WHY?"

John sighed. "Mollie, please calm down. You don't need to get overly excited and upset."

Mollie calmed down and asked again, "Why?"

"Because she's stubborn and hurt," John told her. "But, I think I've found a way to make her stay."

"How?" Mollie asked her mind racing from this revelation.

John explained, "I called Vince and asked her about possibly moving B to FCW and letting her be a trainer to the Divas. He's supposed to call her and make the offer."

"How could she just walk away from what she loves doing?" Mollie questioned.

"She's embarrassed. She's hurt and so she's going to close herself off. I'm sure she'll take some time and really think about all that's going on. Plus she's probably dealing on a low level of PTSD from what happened with you." He sensed by Mollie's breath intake that she felt to blame. "And it's not your fault Mollie…"

"But…" Mollie tried to say.

"It's not your fault," John stated again. "I have a feeling she'll come around."

"I hope you're right. Do I need to call her?" Mollie asked.

"It might not hurt…" John replied. "I think she needs to hear from you."

"I'll call her. Can I ask you something?"

John replied, "Sure baby…"

"If you were in my situation, would you go to the funeral of the ex that nearly killed you?" Mollie asked honestly.

"I can't say…" John answered. "I don't know if I would. But, you do what you feel is right for you. I know you're probably looking for some closure."

"I know his visitation will be in the next day or so. I don't think I'll go to the actual funeral, but I'm going to get Momma to go with me to the wake," Mollie told him.

John sighed. He really didn't feel comfortable with this, but he relented. "If anyone gives you any trouble, call me."

"I will…" Mollie assured him. "Now, go get some rest. I'll call B."

"I love you…" he told her.

"I love you too. Goodnight my sweet love," she replied. Mollie hung up the phone and turned to her parents who were patiently waiting to find out what happened. "Brooklyn quit the company today. I need to call her. I'll be back in my room for a while if you need me." Her parents nodded as Mollie walked back in the house and to her room.

Mollie picked up the phone and dialed her friend's number. She took a deep breath as Brooklyn answered.

"Hey Mollie."

"Hey B." Mollie wasn't sure how to approach the situation and by the tone in Brooklyn's voice, B didn't know how to address it either.

"I'm guessing you've heard?" Brooklyn asked.

"Yes...I'm so confused. Why?" Mollie asked sadly.

"I'm just ready for a change. And before you even think it, it's not because of Stu, directly anyway." Brooklyn sighed.

"Then why?" Mollie matched B's sigh.

"I'm ready for a change and ready to settle down. What happened with Stu and you really made me realize that. Not that you're to blame, because you're not, so don't think that either." Brooklyn explained. "I just want a permanent home and look for someone to start building my life with. I can't do that being on the road 300 days a year."

"I really don't think you're telling me the entire truth," Mollie confronted her friend.

"But…" Brooklyn protested.

"Have you gotten a call from Vince since you quit?" Mollie asked.

"No...why?"

"Because it just might change your mind. Hear him out before you turn him down," Mollie told her.

"Mollie, look, I just want time away from this place. This business." Brooklyn sighed. "And I'm sorry for not telling you or John first. I just, I just knew if I told you guys, you'd convince me to stay."

"Why don't you talk to Stu? I'm sure he's miserable without you," Mollie suggested.

"Who's to say he won't cheat on me again the first time he gets a little lonely?" Brooklyn shot back.

Mollie sighed. She was afraid there was no convincing her friend this time. "Well, I'm going to miss you."

Brooklyn fought back a fresh round of tears. "I'm going to miss you, too."

"But hey, we'll call all the time, I promise." Mollie now fought back tears of her own.

"Please do." Brooklyn now cried. "I'm sorry to have left you like this. You're my best friend and I've sorta just abandoned you."

"No…no you're not abandoning me," Mollie assured her. "We've all been through hell the past couple of weeks."

"John told me about Ben," Brooklyn changed gears. "I would tell you I'm sorry but I'd be lying."

"I know," Mollie nodded. "I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it."

As if Brooklyn could read Mollie's mind, she asked, "Are you going to the funeral?"

"No," Mollie answered, "but I am going to go to the visitation. I'm going to ask my mom to go with me."

"I think it's for the best," Brooklyn said, "but please be safe."

"I will," her friend assured her.

"I need to go. They're calling my flight." Brooklyn sighed. "I love you Mollie. You're my best friend."

"I love you too honey," Mollie replied. "Call me later."

"I will…bye," Brooklyn sniffed and hung up the phone. Then she boarded her flight home, wondering what she was going to do with the rest of her life.

_Two Days Later_

_Flight 810 now arriving Los Angeles International Airport._

He heard another flight being called as he waited for his rental car to be brought around. The tall, handsome man with the British accent and blue eyes wasn't going to be staying more than 24 hours. He'd practically be getting off of his flight, hopefully not breaking up with someone he loved and turning right back around to catch up with the roster.

He knew her release was because of him, yet she wouldn't admit it directly. He'd caused her far too much embarrassment especially considering her last relationship ended horribly.

Relief filled him however when she had sent him a text saying that they indeed needed to talk and Stu immediately jumped on the suggestion that he come to her.

He wasn't sure how to talk to Brooklyn about their current situation and since everything had relatively been ignored since Mollie's incident, it had been pushed aside all together in terms of conversation. Neither had said it was over but they hadn't agreed to keep on going either. Tonight was the night their fate would be set and hopefully in a happy way.

Brooklyn was glad that Stu offered to come to her to talk. She wasn't by any means looking forward to doing this. His flight had only arrived thirty minutes ago and B figured he'd arrive at her front door momentarily.

The last few days had been hard on her. She'd left Stamford by Mollie and John's incessant begging, quit her job and dropped that bomb to the world just before leaving for the airport. It was a tearful ride from Mollie's apartment to the airport then she put on a happy face as she flew back to LA. Arriving late that night, she cried the whole way home and the whole night through. Everything emotionally had caught up with her from Mollie's brutal attack to finding out about Stu sleeping with Maryse and then facing him one on one. Just thinking about how to talk to him and what to say was emotionally draining.

She'd realized that she'd fallen in love with him and she'd done so too fast. She thought she learned her lesson from her last relationship, but it was obvious now that she hadn't. Those walls she'd let down for Stu were quickly built back up and through the tears and daze, she knew what was coming.

Watching the dark rain clouds take over the night with it's thunder and lightning just beginning, Brooklyn, clad in fleece lounge pants and an off the shoulder sweater, sat in her living room on her plush couch waiting for that doorbell to ring.

When it did, the semi startled her from her thoughts and gave her a sick feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. With a deep sigh, she stood and went to answer the door.

She opened the door and there stood Stu soaked from just the walk from the driveway to the front door, his rental visible behind him.

"'Ello." He said sadly. He had a feeling what was coming and it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Hi." She responded softly. "Come on in."

Stepping aside so he could enter the condo, she shut the door behind him. He desperately wanted to reach out and touch her but if it was anything he ever took away from John's advice was you have to let Brooklyn come to you.

"Let me get you a towel, I'll be back." Brooklyn left him in the foyer and stepped over to the linen closet near the downstairs bathroom. She returned a short moment later with a fluffy white terry towel for him to dry off with.

Stu took the towel gently from her and started dabbing at his clothes, face and hair as he followed Brooklyn to the living room. She sat on the couch and he followed suit.

Silence filled the room and neither knew what to do or say. Finally, Brooklyn spoke.

"I am done. I can't even try to comprehend why you did what you did. If tried to think over and over again where I went wrong in such a short amount of time, but I come up empty. You just couldn't keep your hands to yourself. The truth is, there isn't a reason, am I right?"

"No." He spoke softly, looking her directly in the eye. The hurt and guilt evident.

"I fell in love with you and maybe this is my fault and I failed to realize it until it was way too late. And that was my mistake because what we had in such a short amount of time set me up for true hurt and true failure. I thought what we shared was magical and now that it's all said done and over with, it's a tragedy really. We've lost it all. This isn't fun for me at all. I feel like the things we shared and I told you, that little world we liked to be in with one another is just some infected thing. I have nothing more I can say other than you lost me." Brooklyn teared up. She didn't want to, but looking at him and seeing that he felt guilty and seemed to be hurting just as much as she was made her emotions worse.

Hearing her say that she loved him not only took his breath away but stabbed the knife into his heart deeper. "I'm sorry, believe me, I regretted it the moment I realized it happened."

"I know you are. I know you regret it, but it's too late. How can I ever trust you again? I can't. You have no reason for doing it so that gives me no reason to trust you."

"I understand." Stu stood. "I meant it when I said I love you. I truly am sorry."

Brooklyn nodded. The two walked to the door and Stu handed her the towel he'd used. "I want you to know too that this is goodbye."

"I know." He said.

As a stray tear spilled from her green eyes, Stu took the pad of his thumb and wiped it away. He held his hand there for a moment before leaning in and placing a soft kiss to Brooklyn's lips.

When he stepped away, he could only say, "Goodbye Brooklyn." And he was gone, out the door and heading for his car.

Brooklyn didn't even think to watch him pull away; she closed the door and leaned her back against it. The tears started to pour down her face in rhythm with the rain and as the thunder clapped and lightning lit up the sky, she sunk to the cool marble floor, smelling the remnants of what would have been her future.

Meanwhile, Mollie was preparing for something she never thought she'd have to see – her dead ex-husband lying in a coffin. Ann knocked on her daughter's door and opened it.

"Are you ready, dear?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mollie lied. Truth be told she didn't know if she'd ever be ready for this.


	29. Chapter 29 Closure

John was pulling onto an unfamiliar road, guided only by his GPS. Mollie's father had given him the address of their home, and he had driven straight there from the airport. He had missed Mollie so much and longed to see his girl, and he knew that no matter what front she put up she needed him there for today. While he didn't quite understand her need to go to the funeral home, he did know that Mollie Garrison was the best person he had ever known – through and through. Her caring heart truly had no limits. He also knew people would probably whisper and ask questions about her battered and bruised face.

John pulled up the driveway and stopped at the house on top of the hill. It was a small one story, yellow siding home with rather large front and back yards. He imagined a younger Mollie bouncing around the yard, playing and dancing. John went to the front door and started to knock. Then he noticed Jerry motioning him around to the back. He made his way to the back porch to meet Mollie's dad.

"I see you found the place," Jerry smiled as he shook John's hand.

"Yes sir," John smiled as he returned the shake. "How's she doing?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself? And see if you can talk her out of going to the funeral home?" Jerry sighed.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think I'll be able to do that. I don't agree with it either, but I've learned that she's very stubborn and is going to do what she wants," John explained.

"You catch on quick," Jerry laughed. "She's that for sure."

John continued, "But she's also the strongest person I've ever met. She's been through so much but she's determined to overcome."

Jerry nodded at John's spot-on description of his daughter. Jerry knew John truly cared for Mollie. He knew that from that first night in the hospital with her. While part of him still had some reservations, he couldn't help but become more and more comfortable with the gentle giant of a man on his porch.

"Go on inside, I'm sure she'll be surprised to see you." Jerry smiled. John nodded and headed into the back of the house and made is way towards the sounds of Mollie and her mother talking. He found her in the guest bathroom, Ann standing in the doorway while Mollie's voice echoed from inside.

Ann noticed the large man walking down her small hallway and gently smiled. As Mollie attempted to hide her marked features with make up like Brooklyn had shown her in the past and attempt to do something with the destroyed hair style the hospital had given her, Ann stepped aside and let John take her place.

"This is just impossible." Mollie huffed, not noticing the changing of the guard.

"I think you look beautiful." John said softly coming into view.

Mollie had that deer in headlights look about her as she felt his arms wrap around her. She couldn't believe he was there. "Oh my Lord!" She gasped and turned in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and pressing a firm but gentle kiss to his lips. "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too," he smiled. His heart rose at the familiar spark in Mollie's eyes.

"But how...?"

"I called your dad and got the address. I drove here straight from Memphis," he explained.

"I'm glad you did," she grinned.

"Where are you headed all dressed up?" John asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"The visitation is tonight, and I'm going. Momma's going to go with me," Mollie informed him.

"Are you sure?" he asked once again.

"John, I can assure you that I don't have feelings for him anymore. Those feelings stopped the day I left. I love you and only you. I just need..." she trailed off.

John finished her sentence, "...closure."

"Yeah," she answered.

"Please let me go with you," John pleaded.

Mollie almost said no, but she noticed the look in his eyes - a look that assured her that he'd stand with her no matter what came their way. "Ok. If you can get ready..."

John stood and smiled. He placed a sweet kiss on her cheek and said, "I will."

In what seemed like less than five minutes, John changed into dress slacks and a white, button up dress shirt. He threw on a red tie for good measure and emerged from the bathroom.

"Wow..." Mollie laughed. "You look great."

"Thank you," he nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," she sighed.

"I'll drive. Just tell me where to go," John instructed.

Ann chimed in, "Mollie, I'm going to stay here. I think you'll be fine with John."

"Thanks Momma," Mollie replied as she hugged her mother and father and then she and John were off.

The car ride was quiet, and given the circumstances it was for a good reason. Mollie spent the drive reflecting and wondering while only speaking to give John directions. John drove and just listened to Mollie's directions. He held her dainty hand the entire time and gave it a gentle squeeze every now and then to assure her he was there for her.

Mollie leaned forward and looked through the windshield. "It's right there," she said. They pulled into the parking lot of a small church that had recently been converted into a funeral home. It was owned by Ben's uncle, making this even more awkward.

John stopped the car and glanced at Mollie, who looked as if she was about to have a panic attack. "You don't have to do this," he told her. We can just go back to your folks' house."

Mollie replied, "No…I've got to do this." John nodded as he got out of the car and ran around to open Mollie's. He took her by the hand and they walked inside together.

There were a lot of people chatting in the old church's sanctuary as Mollie and John walked in. Mollie knew that Ben's body would be in the back. Her breath became short. Her palms were sweaty. Once this was over, she'd never have to worry about Ben ever again. He'd never hurt her. He'd never lay another hand to her ever again. Even though she knew he was dead, she feared he'd show up once again to finish the job. John sensed her apprehension so he placed his arm around her waist as they stepped into the viewing rooms in the back.

Ben was the only viewing at the funeral home that night, so it wasn't hard to find. Mollie stepped into the room and scanned it quickly. Maybe she could slip in unnoticed. Ben's mother was nowhere to be found, and Ben's father was talking to an older gentleman with his back to the door.

A few people noticed Mollie's presence. She could feel their eyes burning holes into her back. John squeezed her side a little firmer as they stepped up to the casket. Mollie had to shake her head at the gaudy final resting place for her ex-husband. It was done all in camouflage. Ben was even dressed in camo pants and a matching camo shirt; Mollie assumed this was done by his father. Ben loved to hunt.

John had wondered what this moment would be like – the first time he laid eyes on the monster that almost took Mollie from him. He was sure that he'd kill him if he had ever seen him. Part of him was disappointed that he had done himself in. John tried to control, for Mollie's sake, the anger that boiled up inside of him.

On the other hand, Mollie surveyed his face…quiet and peaceful. She hadn't seen a face on Ben like that in quite a while. The only memories she had of Ben were anger and rage…of the back of his hand connecting with her cheek…fear.

Memories of the attack in Stamford flashed through her mind. She had not remembered a lot of details since that day but they were starting to come back. She gasped and held back a flood of tears.

John whispered, "Mollie, you're the strongest person I've ever know. Most people wouldn't do this."

"Let's go," she replied.

John guided Mollie back through the crowd and toward the door when they heard "Mollie!"

John felt Mollie tense up at the sound of her name coming from the older woman's mouth. They turned together to see an older woman with a wrinkled, sunken face and cigarette in her mouth standing in front of them.

"Linda," Mollie cordially said.

"I didn't think you'd come." She replied, ignoring John's existence.

"I didn't plan on it, but I felt that since we were together for so long it was only right." Mollie politely stated. John could feel the tension between the two women.

"Well, thank you." Linda said. "You know though, if you hadn't had your little affair, maybe my son would still be here. He loved you and you snuck around behind his back."

"Is that what he told you? I did no such thing. Ben beat me and beat me and beat me. I couldn't take it any longer so I left. He found me and nearly killed me!" Mollie started to cry. "If he didn't beat me maybe we'd still be married!"

Ben's mother gasped at such 'lies'. "Benjamin would NEVER lay a hand on you! How dare you make up such vial accusations at his funeral?"

John felt the anger boil over and he snapped at the woman in front of him, not even thinking twice before the words left his mouth.

"Your monster son is better off burning in hell for what he did to Mollie."

John grabbed Mollie's hand and the two of them walked to his car, leaving Linda ranting and raving like a lunatic. They arrived at the car and got inside.

"John..."

John hushed her, "Mollie. I know. I just couldn't let her talk to you like that."

"I can't believe those things she said!" Mollie continued to cry. "I would never, ever do something like that. I took those vows seriously! So seriously to the point that they nearly killed me!"

John sighed and reached over the armrest to pull her close to him. There he held her and let her just cry it all out. Soothingly, he rubbed her back and whispered in her ear. He told her that she was alright and that everything was going to be alright. He reminded her that she'd never have to see or hear from those nasty people ever again.

After a short while, once Mollie calmed down, the couple parted and Mollie sighed brokenly.

"You want to go home?" John asked as he wiped the remnants of the tears from her cheeks.

"Not right now." She sniffled. "Can we just drive somewhere?"

"Sure, where to?" He replied.

"Just pull out here and take a left. I'll show you," she instructed. John followed her directions and soon they arrived at a picturesque lake. "Come on," she motioned to him. They got out of the car and walked up to the shoreline. John hadn't seen a lake this beautiful in many years.

Mollie sighed as she took in this familiar site. It was a place her grandfather took her fishing many years ago. In later years, Mollie would run to this lake when she was stressed with school or she had a fight with her mother. It was her sanctuary.

"I used to come here a lot. My Paw Paw used to bring me fishing. I've been here many times just trying to calm down and distress," Mollie explained.

"I can see why," John noted. "It's beautiful."

Mollie nodded with a slight smile. John wrapped his arms around her and held her there for a long while, the two just enjoying one another's company and the feeling of each other.

Mollie sighed. "I missed you so much."

John placed a kiss to her temple and whispered. "Me too."

Mollie turned in John's arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "There's going to be a lot of changes." John nodded. "Stephanie called me and asked me when I wanted to come back. The truth is, I don't know. For the first time in my life, I love what I do. I enjoy my job and the people around me." She kissed his lips gently. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby." John smiled.

"And thank you for being there for me with all of this." Mollie slightly smirked. "I can't believe the things she said to me." The red head shook her head. "I just..."

"Don't try to justify it." John explained. "It's over with and all that matters is that you're alright and I'm here for you."

"I'm not sure when I want to come back to work," Mollie said as she looked down.

"You are going to take as much time as you need. I want you healthy physically and mentally when you come back," John smiled.

Mollie happily sighed. "I really don't know how I made it in my life before you."

"God's got a way of working it all out," John told her. "We both went what we went through for a reason - to find each other."

"I know," she replied. "Where does this lead us? I mean...what are we?"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean...I love you, and you've definitely proven your worth. I guess...I'm just kinda new at all this relationship stuff," Mollie laughed.

"Hey, we'll make it work. I promise. We'll just move forward from day to day, one day at a time and dealing with whatever comes our way." John assured her. "I'd like to be in this for the eventual long haul, and I think you do too. But neither of us is ready for that yet, and I know you agree." John sighed contently. Mollie nodded. "Like I said, I love you Mollie and I'm not going anywhere."

Again, Mollie nodded. "Me either."

"You want to go get something to eat or head home and see what your parents are up to?" John asked.

"Yeah, let's go home and see what Momma's going to cook for supper. You look like you could use a good home cooked meal," Mollie said as she playfully popped John on his stomach.

"You're going to make me fat," John laughed.

"Fat and happy..." Mollie winked.


	30. Chapter 30 Welcome Surprises

A/N: I want to sincerely thank you so much for all of your support and reviews for this story. It's coming to an end very soon, but we hope you enjoy the rest of the ride. We thank you. ~ The Team

A few weeks had passed since Mollie's closure at Ben's funeral. The nightmares were slowly fading away. Mollie truly thought of her attack as a blessing in disguise as it gave her a chance to go home and reconnect with her family and friends. John flew back to Mississippi as often he could, but those visits were few and far between due to the promotion of his new movie Legendary. However, Mollie decided to pull a surprise of her own.

John opened the door of his home, exhausted. He had been on a whirlwind media tour that included Jimmy Fallon, ESPN, and various other outlets. He thought about calling Mollie but first he wanted a shower and his couch for just a little while. He threw his bags on the floor, and then he heard a commotion from the kitchen.

"Crap!"

John knew that voice didn't sound like any of his family, friends or even the housekeeper. He headed to the kitchen to see a small red haired lady rummaging through his cabinets. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her for a few minutes. She never even knew he had entered the room.

"Am I going to have to upgrade my security system?" he said with a sly smile.

"Oh…" Mollie hollered. She turned to John with her hand clutched to her chest. "You scared me to death."

He smiled and pulled her up into a hug. He then leaned down and captured her lips with his. She tasted of mint.

He pulled away and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Mollie replied, "Oh yeah…surprise!"

"I can see that," John laughed. He studied her face and was thankful to see only the slights remnants of her attack. Mollie was slowly but surely returning to the fiery person that he so dearly loved.

"I hope you don't mind. I called the housekeeper and gave her the afternoon off," Mollie winked.

"Oh you did…" John replied. "Whatever did you do that for?"

"Because…I wanted you all to myself for just a little while."

John smirked with a raised brow. "Why, Miss Garrison, a little playful today are we?"

Mollie returned his smirk with a devilish laugh. "Maybe…" she whispered. "But first, I know that you're exhausted. Go get a shower and I'll fix us some food."

John inwardly groaned but replied, "Ok…" He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be right back."

Mollie proceeded to finish the meal she had started before John arrived home. She grilled chicken breasts with a side of steam vegetables. John took what seemed to be the quickest shower in history and made his way back to the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" John asked, which he had asked her every day since the attack.

"I'm good," she nodded. Even though the physical scars were almost gone, the emotional scars still remained. But those too were fading day by day. "You look tired."

"I am. But, I'm a lot better now that you're here. I can't believe your mom and dad let you out of their sight," John said as he sat down in the kitchen.

"I think even they were getting a little sick of me," Mollie laughed. "They practically threw me out the door."

"I'm glad you're here," John sighed.

"Me, too," Mollie smiled. Changing the subject, "How is everyone?" she asked.

John sighed contently as he watched Mollie start to set things on the table. He offered to help, but her simple hand gesture dismissed him. "They're fine. At least I think. Randy sends his love as always. Ted misses you," he said with a laugh, "but not as much as I do."

"And Brooklyn? Stu?" Mollie asked as she now joined him at the table, their hot plates in front of them.

"I haven't heard from Brooklyn since I found out about her leaving. Stu mopes around the hotel, but seems alright. I know he misses her but he knows it was his own fault. Still can't explain why he did what he did and doesn't even bother to. No one asks. And at work his immensely focused. There's going to be a lot of changes coming up with the Nexus so he's focusing on his character growth." John told her.

They bowed their heads and said a quick prayer, something John really hadn't done until Mollie came around, before digging into dinner.

"B hasn't called you?" John asked.

"No, but it's been a couple weeks and I'm sure she's just working herself out." Mollie shrugged. "It saddens me that she won't be there when I go back to work. But in a way, I understand, and she's become my best friend so I support her. I'm sure she'll call."

"She'll call. I don't know what she's told Vince about the job offer. It's one thing if she wants away from Stu, but I'm still surprised she wanted to give up the business all together. The FCW job would be perfect. God knows the Divas need all the help they can get," John acknowledged.

"John!" Mollie laughed.

"It's true, baby. You know it. I know."

Mollie couldn't deny his assessment. "Say what you will but they're all braver than I am. There's no way I could get out in front of the world like you guys do."

"I think you'd make a beautiful Diva," John told her.

"Oh hush," Mollie laughed with her mouth full. "As klutzy as I am?"

John laughed, remembering the times he had literally bumped into Mollie backstage. "Yeah…you're probably right." Mollie playfully swatted his arm.

She huffed, "Hey now. Watch it."

"Oh I do, believe me baby, I do." John swallowed then laughed. "Each sway and step, my eyes watch closely."

Mollie stared wide eyed at John. He was being supremely feisty and she liked it. "Well let me get these dishes going and you can watch me sway right into the kitchen."

As Mollie went to grab his plate, John grabbed her with gentle playful force and held her in his lap as he began kissing her deeply. It wasn't until the oven timer went off a couple of minutes later that the two broke apart.

"What's that?" John asked in between his sweet kisses.

Mollie hummed a little at the continued feeling of his lips on her. "Dessert."

"Not exactly the dessert I had in mind," John said, wondering if Mollie wanted more. It had been hard, but he had gladly abided by her wishes of waiting until she was ready.

"Soon…" she whispered in his ear. And even though it killed him, he nodded.

Their tests with intimacy had been difficult to overcome and surpass but John highly respected Mollie and therefore respected her wishes. He'd had her once, and it would forever be enough for him if it had to be, but even he had to admit that there were times he wished for more. But for now, he'd hold off until she came to him, it was their agreement, and the playful flirtation would continue. Even if it drove him mad!

Mollie soaked the dishes from dinner and pulled the cake from the oven. John's senses were on over drive from the delicious smells.

"Let's take this into the living room." He said coming up behind her, nipping at her ear a little.

Mollie rolled her eyes at his playfulness and followed him into the living room with empty hands as John carried in the plates.

The two sat and snuggled on the couch in comfortable silence as they ate their dessert and John caught up on his sports. Mollie was deeply content just having him so near and John loved her more for being there when he got home.

"I can get used to this." He commented as he held Mollie tighter.

"I know. Me too," she sighed.

"What do you call this cake?" John asked as he took a bite.

"It's a Mississippi Mud Cake," Mollie replied. "It's one of the first things I mastered. Oooey gooey and absolutely terrible for you. Rob will kill me since I'm throwing you off your diet."

"I'll be alright," he assured her. Changing subjects – John noted, "I talked to my father today. He really wants to meet you."

"Really?" Mollie asked.

"Of course he does," John replied.

Mollie asked, "Ok…when?"

"Whenever you're ready…"

"Is he going to be at Hell in a Cell?" Mollie asked.

John replied, "I don't think so but I know for sure he's planning on going to Bragging Rights."

"Then I guess I'm meeting Fabo at Bragging Rights," Mollie beamed. She was very excited about meeting John's father.

In a round about way and not the way he'd wanted to, John had met Mollie's parents so it seemed only fitting that she'd meet his father. Their relationship had been slightly strained during John's marriage and with his son returning to his much brighter, less bitter and happier self, John "Fabo" Cena Sr. wanted to meet the woman who made it all possible. To "Fabo", Mollie was already becoming a favorite and that was fine by John, for he had no plans of their ties ending in the near future.

"I'll tell him." John smiled. A yawn quickly followed and Mollie copied the action.

"Let's get to bed. It's been a long day. I only just got in a couple of hours before you." She smiled up at him from her resting spot on his chest.

"I could go for that," John replied sleepily. He took her by the hand and then the two of them were off to bed for the night.

The next morning, they slept in. Both needed the rest. Neither stirred until they heard the housekeeper come in and start her work. John rose first, leaving his sleeping angel beside him wrapped in covers. He watched her for a few moments, remembering how frail she looked in the hospital just a few weeks ago. She had made leaps and bounds in that time. John was snapped back into reality when he heard his phone ring. Leaving Mollie asleep, he grabbed it and walked to his office. It was Vince.

"Good morning Vince," John answered.

"I'm sorry to wake you up, John," Vince began.

"No…I was awake," John told him.

"I'm calling you to talk about an idea that was brought up in a creative meeting. With Hell in a Cell coming up, there is talk of you actually losing the match and being forced to join Nexus," Vince informed him.

"This should be interesting." John thought about it for a moment. He was never one to quit or give up. It was his motto. 'Never give up!' But this idea would open a whole new door for The Nexus as well as John Cena, the character. He'd never really been emotionally tested at this point. "What would this entitle? Of course aside from the obvious."

"Basically, you'd be Barrett's bitch until we could gage how the Universe takes to this idea. It's a test in character, John." Vince added.

"I like it. It's a good way to boost a lot of different ideas." John knew though it would definitely be emotionally draining to go from so high to so low.

"We'd threaten to fire you if you didn't comply with any of Barrett's directions and orders." Vince continued.

"That means I'd have my whole life taken from me if I didn't comply. What I live for, what I love to do." John stated.

"Exactly." Vince remarked.

"You know I'm good with whatever you say," John told him. "It will be a challenge, but we'll pull it off. Have I got to wear the Nexus merch?"

Vince laughed, "Are you kidding? No! You'll still wear your merchandise."

John laughed in return. He wasn't exactly the biggest fan of the "N" shirt. "Ok. Thank you."

"Creative is working on the idea and we'll get you and the group together before the show and work out the details," Vince informed him. Then he changed the subject. "How's Mollie?"

"She's good," he nodded. "She's actually here right now. She's asleep."

"When do you think she might come back to work?" Vince asked. "I do hate what happened to her, but she's one of the best employees we've ever had. We need her."

John replied, "I think it will be soon. She hasn't told me when but she's getting better every day."

"That's good to know and hear. Have her call me personally when she's ready." Vince smiled on his end. He saw great potential in Mollie as a strong part of the WWE. He'd hope that they'd have her around for a while.

"Was there anything else?" John asked.

"No. That'll do it. We'll see you here in a couple of days. Good luck with Legendary this week." Vince told John.

The two men exchanged pleasantries before hanging up. John left his phone on the charger and went to check in on Mollie.

Mollie was sitting on the edge of the bed, stretching. She smiled when she saw her love reenter the room. "Where did you go?"

"Vince called," John said as he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Good morning sweetheart."

"Good morning," she yawned.

"Sleep well?" John asked.

"Yes…" she smiled. "What did Vince want?"

"Well, he asked about you," he replied.

Mollie nodded. "Really? Wants to know when I'm coming back to work, right?"

"Yeah…" John answered. "Are you thinking about Bragging Rights since you're going to meet Fabo?"

"I am. I'm ready to go back," she told him. "I miss everyone, and I miss seeing you almost every day."

John smiled, "Well, he wants you to call him personally. I think he'll be glad to hear that."

"Ok," she said.

"And, he told me what's going to happen to me at Hell in a Cell," John continued.

"Really?" she asked. "What? You've got to tell me. Are you really going to have to join Nexus?" Mollie had most definitely been keeping up with programming while she was home.

John only nodded.

"Wow…really?" Mollie exclaimed.

"Yeah," John answered. "If I don't listen to Barrett, I'll be fired. I'll be his 'bitch.'"

"I'm shocked. Does this mean a full-fledged heel turn?"

John shook his head, "Not at first. It might lead to that, though."

"Hmm…" Mollie raised a brow. "I'll believe it when I see it." She chuckled.

"I know, right?" John shook his head. "It's going to be a roller coaster, that's for sure. It's a big character change for me. I guess this is what Vince meant by everyone going through changes."

Mollie nodded. "You'll be amazing." She winked.

"We'll see how it goes. It's a week to week basis. The numbers will come in and who knows what can change." John told her.

"How's that different from any other week at the office?" Mollie giggled. John shrugged knowingly.

"You hungry?" John asked.

"Starved!" Mollie smiled.


	31. Chapter 31 The Happiest Place on Earth

A couple of hours later, John and Mollie arrived at the one and only Magic Kingdom. Mollie's eyes were as big around as saucers as she took in the sights. They were brought in through an employee gate to make them more inconspicuous.

"John, I can't believe we're here," Mollie gasped.

"Where would you like to go first?" he asked as he pulled down his cap and adjusted his sunglasses.

She replied, "I'm not sure. Remember…I've never been here before!"

"Well, I'm hungry so let's go eat and then we have the rest of the day," he told her. He already had a plan brewing as they walked toward Cinderella's Castle. Mollie whipped out her camera and immediately started snapping pictures of everything. John enjoyed making Mollie happy at any cost, and it was an honor for him to take her to Disney World for the first time in her life.

The two of them walked hand-in-hand to Cinderella's Castle and made their way to the restaurant inside. Surprisingly, he and Mollie were able to walk around and not be noticed by fans. As they stepped up to the restaurant, John spoke to the hostess. After a few minutes, they were ushered inside and to a table.

"How did you do this?" Mollie asked.

"Just a few perks of being a celebrity," John smiled.

"Everything looks and sounds so good," Mollie commented as she browsed the menu.

"Order whatever you want," he told her.

Mollie ordered a seafood pasta dish while John opted for a chicken pasta meal. As they waited for the meal to be brought out, John asked Mollie, "What's the one thing you've always wanted to do at Disney?"

"Uh…have my picture made with Mickey Mouse," she grinned.

"Done," he told her. "Anything else?"

"We've got the whole day. I'll think of other stuff," Mollie reminded him. "I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment."

After eating John and Mollie ventured back through the park. They conquered Fantasyland first and captured a few pictures of the two of them with the Disney Princess characters like Belle, Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora from Sleeping Beauty.

From there after they had a heck of a time spinning and whirling about at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party in cups that John, with all his strength, spun them like crazy! Mollie was excited about meeting Ariel at The Little Mermaid's Grotto and from there they headed over to Liberty Square.

As they walked up to Liberty Square, they noticed a pretty long line. Mollie gasped, "It's Mickey!"

"Well, go get in line!" John told her.

The two of them got in line and waited to meet the Mouse. Mickey's handler recognized John and whispered something to Mickey. Mollie and John stepped up to them and handed them Mollie's camera. Mickey hugged Mollie and kissed her on the cheek. He then looked at John and did the "You Can't See Me" gesture. Mollie bursts into giggles.

"I guess Mickey's a fan," Mollie commented. The three of them got their picture together with John giving his three finger hand gesture to the camera.

The two of them ate dinner at Tony's Town Square Restaurant and found a prime spot right near Cinderella's Castle for that night's parade and fireworks show. They sat down on a bench by themselves as Mollie snuggled close to him.

"John, this day has been absolutely amazing," Mollie smiled.

"It has," he laughed. "I think I'm still a little dizzy from the Tea Cups."

Mollie turned to him, "Well, it's your own dang fault for spinning them so fast. I'm surprised I didn't get sick."

Just as she said that, the lights were lowered in the square and Tinkerbell began her "flight" up to the top of the castle and illuminated the structure in different colors. Then the fireworks began. The "ooohhs" and "aaahhhs" resonated from the crowd as John hugged Mollie closer. He knew tomorrow he'd have to leave her for several more days, but he looked forward to when she would be back out on the road with her WWE family.

When the fireworks were over, Mollie begged John to go inside one of the shops on Main Street USA. She wanted to buy souvenirs for herself and her family. She bought her parents a Disney World Christmas ornament and purchased a set of Mickey Mouse Ears for herself. Of course she'd never wear them again, but she knew they'd sit next to one of the pictures from today in her apartment.

"Did you have a good time?" John asked as he was making the hour drive back from Orlando to Tampa.

Mollie yawned then replied. "I had an amazing time! Thank you so much! I love you."

John smiled. "I love you too. I'm glad you had fun. We won't get to do this very often. So I hope it was enjoyable."

"Definitely. And I don't expect it all the time either John. I want you to know that." Mollie placed her hand on his thigh.

John took his right hand from the steering wheel and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I know."

Mollie let John hold her hand the rest of the way as she leaned back against the head rest. Before she knew it she was out cold and John was waking her up after he'd pulled into the garage and shut the engine off.

"Baby, we're home." He whispered softly as he pressed a kiss to her cheek.

Groggily Mollie got out of the car and the two headed inside and straight to bed. The next morning they were both up early, with what little sleep they received, and packing to get to the airport. John had to be on the road for more 'Legendary' promotions and Mollie was heading back to her parents place for a couple of days.

"Call me as soon as you land in Memphis," he told her as the two of them got checked in for their respective flights.

"I will…" Mollie replied with sadness. "It seems like I just got here."

"I know. Me too. But you'll be back at work soon…won't you?" he asked.

"Yeah…I'm going to talk it over with Momma and Daddy but I'm pretty sure I want to come back in time for Bragging Rights. I'll have to call Vince and Stephanie as well," Mollie replied.

"Don't let me or anyone else push you into anything," John reminded her. "You come back when YOU'RE ready."

"I know," Mollie nodded. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too. But, it's all going to be alright," he assured her then reached down to kiss her passionately. He didn't care who saw. He began to treat each time he was with Mollie as if it would be the last.

"Go…you're going to be late," she said as she caught her breath.

"I love you," he said with a wink and a kiss on the top of her head.

"I love you, too," she replied as she watched him disappear in the distance. She gathered herself and boarded her own plane back to Memphis.

A couple of hours later, she met her parents in Memphis and then was back at their house a couple of hours after that. Mollie was tired from the trip and missed John terribly but was glad to be home. She filled her parents in on the entire trip and showed them the pictures that were still on her digital camera. She also gave them their Christmas ornament from Disney.

"So," Mollie started. "I've been thinking. I'm going to go back to work here shortly. There is this pay per view event called Bragging Rights where both rosters, the Raw and SmackDown rosters, compete against one another." She finished.

"Honey, that's great. But only if you feel like you're ready." Ann insisted.

"I know. I think I am. It's the only thing of normalcy I have left. I'm ready to go back. I miss it actually. I miss John mostly, but I miss my work and friends too." Mollie clarified.

"I don't know darlin'. I think you need some more time. What if you have a major anxiety attack when you get to the building? I've been reading up on post traumatic stress syndrome in victims of abuse like yours and I just don't know if it's time for you to go back." Her father now gave his two cents.

"Daddy, going back to work and facing everything is part of me getting better," Mollie insisted.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes!" Mollie replied. "I'm ready. But Bragging Rights is still a few weeks away. There's another pay-per-view before then away. It's called Hell in a Cell."

"Where do they come up with the names of these things?" Ann laughed.

"I can explain," Mollie nodded. "And even though I know you guys are going to worry about me, don't. I'll be fine."

"Oh Mollie, you got a call yesterday. It was from Brooklyn," her mother remembered as she started sorting out laundry.

"Really?" Mollie exclaimed. "I wonder why she didn't call my cell. What did she say?"

"She just wanted to check on you," Ann replied. "She sounded down herself. What has she been doing since she quit the company?"

"I have no idea. This is the first time she's called since she left. I'll call her right now," Mollie said as she grabbed her phone and walked into her bedroom. She dialed Brooklyn's number and waited.

"Hello?" Brooklyn answered.

"Don't act like you don't know who this is…" Mollie joked.

"Hi Mollie!" Brooklyn replied. "How are you? How was your trip?"

"Great…I can tell you all about it later," Mollie told her. "How are you doing?"

"I guess I'm doing alright. Just taking it day by day." Brooklyn answered.

"Like... come on honey, I'm no fool. I haven't heard from you since you called about leaving." Mollie pressed.

"I know and I'm sorry. I was just, well I've been doing a lot of thinking and contemplating, decision making, you know trying to sort things out. I thought that life would be so much better since I left work but really it's pretty depressing." B explained.

"John told me that Vince had called you a couple times."

"Yeah."

_She hadn't been gone long, a couple weeks at best. She figured she had seen the last of Vince McMahon but she was wrong. He'd called on a late Tuesday afternoon from his office in Stamford._

_"Brooklyn, how are you doing?" Vince asked. She was one of his favorite Divas. She brought so much character and liveliness to the division. There were few divas that currently held a good position with Vince and Brooklyn was one of them followed by Beth, Nattie and Eve. _

_"I'm alright. Just taking it easy. What can I do for you?" She asked knowing well enough that the chairman wasn't calling just for pleasure. _

_"Well, I know this is rather soon and you have only been absent from us for a couple of weeks now, but I was looking to see how you'd feel about coming back. Just as a trainer and teacher at FCW. You'd be completely out of character and I know that you have the skills that these up and coming Divas would need in order to thrive in the division. The board has been really down on the division since NXT was moved to an online only position within WWE programming. And..."_

_"Sir, forgive the interruption but I really would like to pass. It'd be a great honor but I'd like to sit with my severance and just figure things out. And with zero disrespect to yourself and the company, I can't do that with you calling me only a couple weeks since my resignation." Brooklyn respectfully declined._

_"Are you sure?" Vince asked again. _

_Brooklyn thought briefly. She wanted away from the WWE to start a fresh life, to see what else was out there for her, to hopefully meet someone and start a family. "Yes, sir, I'm sure."_

_"Alright. Well, thank you for your time Brooklyn. And like I've said before, if you ever want to come back on a talent level or now even as a coach, I'd be very happy to have you back and my door is always open with ink in my pen." Vince reminded Brooklyn._

_"Yes sir and thank you for that. I'll keep that in mind. You never know what can happen." _

"And just like that you said no!" Mollie asked.

"Yeah. I've been doing some serious thinking and I really want to go back to school. I have my bachelor's but I'd like to get my master's." Brooklyn sighed. "Who the hell knows in what! But I do. I don't know if you know, John and I share the same bachelor's only mine is from USC here in Cali."

"It's been mentioned before. But let me tell you, I am really proud of you for doing that. I miss you like crazy though." Mollie was telling the truth. Nothing meant more to her than a friendship with Brooklyn. And after Ben's attack on her, their bond was a little deeper to Mollie.

"So, how are you doing?" Brooklyn turned the conversation back to Mollie.

"I've gotten a clean bill of health from my doctor," Mollie replied, "and I'm thinking of going back to work soon."

"Really? When?" Brooklyn asked.

"Bragging Rights," she replied.

"Why don't you come out to California?" Brooklyn asked.

"I'd love to see you, but I didn't want to invite myself," Mollie laughed.

"I miss you honey and I've love to have you out here," Brooklyn told her friend. She missed her friend terribly.

Mollie asked, "So, when?"

"How about next weekend?" Brooklyn asked.

"That sounds great," Mollie told her.

"Good! I'll set up all the arrangements and let you know tomorrow! Oh this will be so exciting! How about we fly you out on Thursday then send you packing on Monday?" Brooklyn suggested.

"I'd say I better start packing!" Mollie laughed. "Especially since I just got back!"

"Perfect. I'll email you everything as soon as I set it all up! I can't wait! I want to hear all about everything I've missed!" Brooklyn was thrilled to have company, especially her best friend. "Tell lover boy I said hi!"

Mollie promised she would tell John hello for her and the two friends ended their call. She looked forward to catching up with her precious best friend.


	32. Chapter 32 Hell in a Cell

A/N: Wow…the love you're showing this story is just beyond words. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. It's nearing the end…so we hope you're hanging on! Remember…we own nothing but Mollie and Brooklyn. Signed – The Team.

Mollie got off the plane at LAX that next Thursday. Brooklyn said she'd be waiting on her, but she seemed nowhere to be found. Mollie was surprised to see a somewhat familiar brunette coming toward her.

"B?" Mollie asked. Brooklyn had died her sun kissed blonde locks a deep brown. She was still stunning, but the change was definitely noticeable for her friend.

"Yeah…" Brooklyn answered as she hugged Mollie. "You look great!"

Mollie stuttered, "So…so do you! I like the hair."

Brooklyn replied, "Yeah…I just felt it suited me right now. I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too but I'm starving!" Mollie laughed. Brooklyn loved seeing the life back in her friend – a far cry from the last time she saw her.

"I have the perfect place in mind!" Brooklyn laughed and the two women gathered Mollie's luggage before heading out to her car.

With the top down, the girls cruised the 405 up to Santa Monica where Brooklyn lived. B stopped at this little hotel just on the beach called Shutters. Mollie, was in awe of how cute and elegant yet beachy the place was, followed Brooklyn towards the restaurant inside called Coast.

"This place is so cute!" Mollie gushed as they were escorted to their table. They were seated at a beach front table with tan wicker chairs and a white marble top table.

"I know right. It's so clean and beachy!" Brooklyn was referring to the white walls, shutters, crown molding and hues of yellow and blue throughout the decor.

A cute little petite waitress came by and the girls ordered their drinks and Brooklyn ordered them an appetizer of warm tortilla chips and guacamole.

"So, tell me everything I've missed!" Brooklyn asked of Mollie.

"Well, I'm going back to work soon," Mollie started.

"Really? When?" Brooklyn asked.

"Bragging Rights. I just haven't called Vince & Stephanie to tell them yet," Mollie answered.

"I'm sure they're going to be thrilled. Are you sure you're up to it?"

Mollie replied, "I am. It's time. If I don't, he wins. Even from beyond the grave."

Brooklyn took her friend by the hand, "Yeah, John told me about that."

Mollie continued, "I went to the funeral home, and his mother had the audacity to accuse me of having an affair. Thank God John was there with me. He's been so supportive. He's flown down when he could, but his schedule just got crazier busy with _Legendary _stuff. I just got back from seeing him."

"Aww…and I'm sure he spoiled you rotten," Brooklyn cooed.

"You've got that right. He took me to Disney World! I'd never been before," Mollie exclaimed.

"You hadn't? Oh my God…I bet you had a blast."

Mollie nodded, "I did…he's just too much sometimes. He wants me to meet his dad."

"You'll love Fabo, and he'll love you too," Brooklyn smiled.

Mollie shook her head, "Listen to me going on and on. What about you? What have you been doing these past few weeks?"

"Uh, I've done a lot of thinking. I changed my hair color just because I was tired of looking in the mirror. To say that it's been all puppies and daisies, I'd be lying. I really loved him. For the first time in a long time, I cared for someone again. I think what makes this all so much worse is that he doesn't have a reason as to why. And that's what kills me." Brooklyn sighed sadly. "But, only the strong survive. So, that's why I made the decision to go back to school. I'm going to meet with an adviser here at USC next week. I'm not sure what to do yet, but I want to get my Masters."

"I really think that's great." Mollie smiled. "I miss you terribly though."

"I know. And I wish I could visit more, but I'll just have to settle with phone calls, emails and texts! I'm using my severance to pay for school and living expenses!" Brooklyn smiled.

To the world Brooklyn seemed like she was doing just fine, but Mollie knew her better than that. She knew she was still reeling and hurting over Stu.

"What else is going on?" Mollie asked.

"Well, I've been seeing a therapist once a week. I've had these nightmares of the day I found you and it just freaks me out." Brooklyn quietly confessed. "But don't think you have to be sorry." Brooklyn read the look on Mollie's face clearly. She felt terrible about B going to therapy! She was the one attacked after all!

"Brooklyn, I'm so sorry. If there was something I could do to change it, I would," Mollie lamented.

"I don't want you to feel sorry. It's just something I have to deal with. I'm sure that I'd be this way even if I had found some stranger there," Brooklyn assured her.

"This weekend is all about you and me and catching up," Mollie said, changing the subject just as the waitress walked up to take their entree order. Mollie ordered the shrimp a la plancha while Brooklyn opted for the grilled swordfish. The girls chatted for a while until their orders were brought to the table.

As they ate, Mollie asked, "So, I'm assuming that since you're going back to school you're not interested in taking the trainer job from Vince?"

After swallowing, Brooklyn replied, "Yeah. I...I just can't do it right now. Vince did say that the door was always open, though."

Mollie asked, "Would you be open to it in the future?"

Brooklyn replied, "I don't know..."

"It's a good offer. And if I ever did get to that point with John and we moved in together, I'd see you more." Mollie smiled.

"I know. I'm not totally ruling it out, but I just don't know. I don't want it right now. It might be nice once I'm done with school again, but..."

"But what?" Mollie pressed.

"That's a little too close for comfort for me. I have to be strong enough to deal with my past and Stu. He doesn't live far from there and well... I don't know."

"Don't make it a cop out. I'm sure you know as well as I do that you'd be perfect for the job." Mollie told her. Brooklyn gave her that look as if to say stop pushing and Mollie caught on. "We'll leave it at that, I promise."

Brooklyn nodded and changed the subject. "How are you? I mean...physically and everything."

Mollie answered, "I'm good. You know...I look at what happened as almost a blessing in disguise. I got to go home and reconnect with family and friends. The doctors gave me a clean bill of health, thank God. No side effects."

"I'm so glad honey," Brooklyn smiled. "Now, what do you want to do while you're out here?"

"It doesn't matter, but I do want to watch the pay-per-view Sunday," Mollie said, without thinking.

"What?" Brooklyn asked.

"Oh...you know, I wasn't even thinking. I didn't know if you'd want to watch it or not. I'll just catch a replay back home," Mollie apologized.

"No...no...it's ok. What's gonna happen?" Brooklyn asked, her curiosity now peaked.

"John is going to have to join Nexus," Mollie stated.

"You're kidding! Oh my God..." Brooklyn exclaimed.

"Not kidding." Mollie laughed. "John's insane. I don't know if he really realizes how emotionally draining this is going to be on him."

"We'll get it. For sure. And I know it'll be draining, but I think it's a huge step in changing over his character. Giving it a little more depth than what is there. The hero is no longer the hero. I like it." Brooklyn supported the big change in her friend's work order. "So does that mean that they're finally going to go through with turning him heel again?"

Mollie scoffed. "Who the heck knows!" She laughed. "Rumors fly round all day. I read something new each time I turn on the internet. Now they say if this goes well, maybe by the end of the year. It all is just going to depend on how this is perceived."

"Oh... it always happens that way." Brooklyn rolled her eyes.

The waitress came and dropped off the check. Mollie immediately reached for it but B was quicker.

"I don't think so!" Brooklyn laughed and placed her card in the black booklet. "You're my guest this weekend. All expenses paid!"

"We'll see about that," Mollie smirked at her friend.

Before the girls knew it, Sunday had rolled around. Since Mollie's arrival on Thursday, the two friends had been going non-stop. On Friday Brooklyn drove Mollie down to Long Beach to tour the famous Queen Mary and other various sites along the coast. On Saturday the girls ventured to Universal Studios. Mollie thought they must have ridden every ride there at the park, but it was well worth it to spend time with her best friend. Mollie didn't have a lot of close friends growing up, and the ones she did have she cherished deeply. She wasn't about to let go of Brooklyn's friendship whatsoever.

The girls slept in and rested from their whirlwind tour of Southern California. Brooklyn rose first and checked in on her friend. Mollie was still asleep in the guest room so Brooklyn made herself a pot of coffee and sat out on her balcony. The cool morning air was quite refreshing, and this was her favorite spot to sit and think. She contemplated Vince's job offer for the millionth time in her head. Is Mollie right? She thought. Then again for the millionth time, Brooklyn pushed the idea out of her head and once again convinced herself she was doing the right thing.

Mollie stirred from her bed and walked toward the living room looking for Brooklyn.

She smelled the fresh coffee and when her friend wasn't in sight, Mollie smiled to herself as she realized where her friend was. Taking a mug for herself, Mollie poured her coffee and found Brooklyn on her second floor balcony just outside her bedroom.

"Morning." Mollie smiled as she held her mug close while taking a seat next to her friend.

"Hey." Brooklyn responded. "I can't believe how fast the weekend has gone by."

"I know." Mollie sighed. She was bummed to be leaving her friend in the morning, but was excited to go home, assess what was going on with her own apartment and get ready to head back to work soon. With the pay per view tonight, that only left her a couple weeks before being back on the road.

"You hungry?" B asked.

"Yeah, starved!" Mollie laughed.

"Well, let's get ready to go. We'll go have brunch somewhere and relax a bit before the pay per view. I figured we could order pizza and munch out." Brooklyn said.

"I'm good with the pizza, but I think I've got a better idea for brunch," Mollie thought aloud as she ventured back into the kitchen.

Brooklyn got up and followed her friend back into the kitchen. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making breakfast…or brunch…whatever we're eating. Do you have any…?" Mollie asked as she looked through Brooklyn's cabinets and refrigerator.

"What?" Brooklyn asked, still curious.

"You'll see…" Mollie grinned. She then got to work whipping up what she called an old-fashioned Southern breakfast. Mollie made a small pan of homemade biscuits, chocolate gravy, and scrambled eggs. Brooklyn was amazed watching her friend work in the kitchen.

"Wow…where did you learn all this?" she asked.

"Watching my momma all these years," Mollie told her as she dished out a plate of the food for Brooklyn. "Here…tell me what you think…"

"Oh my God!" Brooklyn said with a mouth full of food. She then swallowed and continued, "That is amazing! Holy crap!" She took another fork full.

Mollie laughed as she too started to dig in on her own plate. "I'm glad you like it."

"I've been on oatmeal and granola for years! Protein shakes, egg whites and vegetables and the occasional splurge! This is like... heaven!" B laughed.

Mollie shook her head. "You're too much." She laughed. "So, after this and I clean up the kitchen, what's on the agenda?"

"I don't know. We can just walk around here. There are some little shops and then there is always the pier. We can get manis and pedis before you leave." Brooklyn offered. "But you are NOT cleaning up the kitchen. You cooked!"

"I am and I will." Mollie protested. "You've done so much, the least I can do is clean up the mess I've made!"

"Fine!" Brooklyn wasn't one to argue.

After breakfast, Mollie cleaned up while Brooklyn got ready to go. Once Mollie was done cleaning up the kitchen, she showered and dressed for the day. It was a rare warm day in September in Santa Monica, but the cool ocean breeze made for a good day to just see what was just outside Brooklyn's front doors.

They moved through the shops and boutiques before heading down the pier for some ice cream sundaes and a few games. After that, they headed back to Brooklyn's just a good hour before the pay per view was going to start.

Just as then reentered Brooklyn's home, Mollie's cell phone rang. "It's John," she told Brooklyn. Let me take this really quick."

"Tell him hello and that it's all gonna be alright tonight," Brooklyn replied as she sit her bag down on the counter. Mollie stepped outside on the balcony.

"Hey baby…" she smiled.

"Hey," he replied. "How's my girl?"

"I'm good…we're just about to order the pay-per-view and some pizza," Mollie told him.

John smiled, "Good…how's B?"

"She's good," Mollie replied. "She wanted me to tell you everything was going to be alright tonight."

"You told her?" he asked.

Mollie bit her lip, "Yeah…I kinda had to in order for her to want to get the show tonight."

"Oh…" he said. "I see. Tell her she could call me too and say hello."

Mollie laughed, "Be safe tonight…and don't let it get to you. You're gonna do great," Mollie encouraged him.

John took a moment to soak in the compliment. Before in his life, he wouldn't have gotten much, if any, encouragement at all from Liz. "Thank you," he replied. "That really means a lot."

Mollie smiled. "I love you and be safe."

"I love you too." John smiled through the phone. Saying it to her never got old.

"Oh before I forget, I have a ton of pictures to show you! We've been so busy!" Mollie quickly added.

"I can't wait. I gotta go baby. I'll call you later tonight." He sighed.

"I'll be watching and waiting." Mollie matched his sigh.

"How is he?" Brooklyn asked as Mollie stepped back inside from the balcony.

"He's good. You can tell he's a bit nervous about tonight," Mollie reported.

Brooklyn nodded, "A change in character is always a little scary, wondering how the crowd will respond. But, he's a big boy…he'll be fine."

"I know…" Mollie nodded. "So…pizza?"

"Yeah," Brooklyn replied. "What kind?"

"Anything but supreme," Mollie made a disgusted face. "I hate supreme."

"Alright...how about just a plain cheese?" Brooklyn asked.

"Great…" Mollie replied. Brooklyn called in the order and shortly after their pizza was delivered. Brooklyn ordered the pay-per-view and the two friends settled in for the show.

The show began with a grudge match between Edge and Jack Swagger in the continuing of Edge's quest of rid the world of "all things stupid." Edge won that match handily.

The next match was Nattie vs. Laycool for the Unified Divas Championship. Mollie noticed Brooklyn watching this match intently. Even though Brooklyn would never admit it, Mollie could see it. She wanted to wrestle. It had been her life, her dream for so long that it was hard to let it go. Nattie won the match by disqualification.

"That's BS…" Brooklyn huffed.

"I know…" Mollie agreed. "Nattie deserves a run. Michelle's got a lock on that title as long as she wants it."

Daniel Bryan then won a three way United States Championship match between himself, The Miz, and John Morrison. Then it was time for Randy's title defense against Sheamus. It would be held in the Hell in a Cell structure.

"This is going to be brutal," Brooklyn observed.

"I'm afraid so," Mollie nodded.

The girls watched the match, cringing at the spots that Randy and Stephen were pulling off. Stephen slammed Randy on top of the steel ring steps sending The Viper writhing and wiggling in pain.

"Oh my God…" Mollie gasped.

When Randy pulled out the victory, he posed for the crowd and then climbed on top of the cage.

Brooklyn wondered, "Maybe Mike cashes in his case?"

"I doubt it," Mollie answered but who knows. They watched Randy continue to celebrate on top of the structure for several more minutes, wiping out the possibility of The Miz cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. The show cut to footage of everything that had occurred with John, Stu, and the Nexus angle over the past few months.

"Here we go…" Mollie said, trying to calm her nerves. She knew Nexus was banned at ringside, so she wondered how he'd lose the match.

Brooklyn reached over and grabbed Mollie's hand when she saw her nervously wringing them. "He'll be fine."

Stu was out first, causing Brooklyn's heart to skip a beat. She silently beat herself up for how their relationship ended, even though she wasn't the one who cheated. She watched him saunter to the ring in his smug "Wade Barrett" persona. She audibly sighed. It was then Mollie's turn to comfort her friend.

John came out next in his usual manner. Brooklyn held back a snicker. She said to Mollie, "Pretty excited for a man who's life is about to change."

"Ha ha…yeah," Mollie agreed. The match began and went back and forth. When Nexus tried to attack, this brought out Big Show and many other members of the WWE locker room. They were able to beat back the Nexus onslaught leaving John and Stu to the match.

Later, the referee was distracted by a "fan" jumping in the ring. Another "fan" attacked John causing Stu to get the victory.

"Ohhhh…so that's how they're gonna do it," Mollie said.

"That looks like Joe Henning and IRS's kid from NXT 2," Brooklyn observed.

"You're right," Mollie nodded. "They're not in Nexus so technically Nexus never interfered."

The girls continued to stare at the screen as the camera panned into Cena's reaction. Mollie and Brooklyn instantly felt their hearts break as the expression of final defeat was plastered on John's face. He looked broken, worn down and deeply saddened. An underlying tone of shock and fear was set in his beautiful eyes.

"I think I'm going to cry." Brooklyn whispered as she turned to see Mollie already dabbing at her eyes. "Oh honey." Brooklyn sniffled.

"Yeah, we'll have to tell him it's that believable." Mollie now sniffled.

"The kids crying did it for me." Brooklyn sighed.

"Do you really even care about Taker and Kane?" Mollie asked.

"Not really but we've made it this far. Let's go ahead and watch it," Brooklyn suggested. Just as the match began, Mollie's phone rang. She knew it had to be John.

"I'll be right back," she said as she hopped up and answered her phone. Sure enough it was John. "Hey Handsome," she answered.

"Hey..." he replied, exhausted. "So...how did it come across?"

"Oh...totally believable. B and I have been crying watching you," Mollie replied.

John quietly laughed. "Yeah...the kids crying in the crowd got to me, too." He paused for a second and then asked, "So, are you going home tomorrow?"

Mollie replied, "Yeah...back to Mississippi to get my things and then I'm going back to my apartment to start getting ready to go back to work."

"Baby, are you sure you're ready?" John sighed. He didn't want to seem like a nag, but he wanted to make sure Mollie was ready to be on the road again, let alone face Global and the scene of everything.

"Yes." Mollie insisted.

"I'm with you no matter what," he assured her.

"Same here," she replied.

"Listen, I'm going to shower and probably hit the hay. Call me when you fly out in the morning," he sighed.

"I will...I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he replied. With that, he was gone. Brooklyn was in the kitchen getting another bottle of water as Taker and Kane's match went on.

"Is he ok?" Brooklyn asked.

"He's good. Tired. And he said that the kids crying even got to him," Mollie laughed.

"Wuss..." Brooklyn laughed in return.

"I think I'm going to go ahead and go to bed. Big day tomorrow flying home," Mollie said.

Brooklyn nodded, "That's fine. I guess I've worn you out. I'm going to clean up the kitchen and go to bed myself. I'll see you in the morning. With that, Mollie retired to her room.

The next morning, Mollie and Brooklyn were up and getting ready. Brooklyn was going to take Mollie to the airport and then she was off to USC to meet with another graduate school adviser. Tears flowed as the girls said goodbye at the airport.

"Thank you for coming out here," Brooklyn sniffed.

Mollie sniffed in return, "Thank you for having me. I wish we could do this more often."

"I know, but we'll stay in touch," Brooklyn promised.

"We better..." Mollie smirked. "I'll call you when I get home."

"Bye honey," Brooklyn hugged her as she watched Mollie disappear into the terminal. Mollie was soon off and on her way home to Mississippi. But soon, she'd be back at her apartment in Connecticut and back to work. She couldn't wait for her life to return to normal.


	33. Chapter 33 Back to Connecticut

A couple of days later, Mollie got off the plane back in Connecticut. Even though Connecticut would never truly be _home _to her, it was nice to be back. After calling her parents to tell them she was home, she called a cab and had it take her just a few miles down the road to her apartment. Her landlord had been gracious enough to keep an eye on the place while she was home in Mississippi so that took a lot off of her mind.

She arrived at her building and made her way upstairs. She opened the door and sat her bags down in her bedroom. She didn't notice the dozen red roses sitting on the counter until she walked back from her room. The rich red petals and their wonderful scent took her breath away. At first, she was a little scared to look at the card. She had to remind herself that Ben was gone. He was dead, and he wasn't coming back. Then she pushed those thoughts out of her mind and knew who they were from. She opened the card and smiled.

_My sweet Mollie,_

_This is just a small token of how much I love and admire you. You're the strongest person I know and my hero. _

_Love,_

_John_

The simple gesture was sweet enough to make Mollie tear up just a bit. The thought of her being John's hero was just too much and he always seemed to find a way to touch her at her heart strings.

Releasing a deep sigh of simple contentment, Mollie set forth the task at hand of cleaning up her apartment. She didn't want to call Vince and Stephanie just yet. She'd wait until after the lunch hours and really plan out her game plan. If anything she'd rather talk to them in person, so her initial call would be to set up a meeting.

It was just a little after two in the afternoon when Mollie completed her duties as housekeeper with dusting, vacuuming and straightening up, that she decided to call her office.

"World Wrestling Entertainment, how may I direct your call?" The receptionist answered.

"Julie, this is Mollie Garrison. May I please be directed to Barbara?" Mollie requested to speak with her HR Manager.

"Yes, Miss Garrison, please hold." Julie said as she transferred the call.

"HR this is Barbara." The older woman replied.

"Barbara, this is Mollie." The red head smiled through the phone. It felt good to hear her voice again.

"Oh my dear, how are you!" Barbara seemed overly excited to be speaking with one of her favorite employees. She'd touched a special place in the woman's heart since her first day on the job when Mollie showed such initiative.

"I'm good. Thank you for asking. I was wondering if you could place my call in with Vince?" Mollie asked.

"I hope this is good news." Barbara beamed. "Just a moment and I'll see if he's available."

Mollie waited as she listened to the elevator music on the hold system. It wasn't long until a man with a grizzled voice answered.

"Mollie Garrison, I was hoping to hear from you." Vince McMahon, the Chairman himself, said.

"That's nice to hear," Mollie replied with a smile. "How are you, sir?"

"I'm doing well, and yourself?"

"I'm good. I'm actually back in Connecticut. I was wondering if you had some time available to speak to me today," she asked.

Vince was silent for a moment as he looked over his calendar then answered, "Yes. How about in an hour?"

"That sounds great," she replied. "I'll see you then."

"Goodbye," Vince replied as he hung up the phone. Mollie put her phone down and took a deep breath. Then she took a look inside her bare empty refrigerator. She started making a grocery list so she could go shopping after her meeting with Vince.

She took a shower and started getting ready for her meeting with Vince when she heard her phone ring. It was John.

"Have I ever told you that you are the sweetest man on planet Earth?" she answered with a huge smile. "Thank you for my roses."

"No but I like the sound of that," he laughed. "You're welcome. How are you, baby?"

"I'm very good. I've been cleaning this nasty apartment. Now I'm getting ready for my meeting with Vince," she stated.

"Vince?"

"Don't worry. I set it up. I just wanted to go in and talk to them in person about coming back to work," she assured him.

"Ok…had me worried for a minute," John sighed.

"Where are you?" Mollie asked, changing gears.

"I just finished at the gym. Then I have a Circle of Champions meeting and then getting ready for the show," John told her.

"Oh." Mollie sighed. "Baby, as much as I would love to sit here and talk, I really need to get ready. I'm supposed to be in the office in less than an hour."

John laughed. He could feel Mollie's nerves through their call. "Alright. Call me the moment you're through. I should be done with the meeting by then."

"I will, I promise." Mollie told him.

"Alright. Be safe and good luck. I love you."

"I love you too." Mollie smiled through the phone and ended their call.

She quickly finished drying her hair and made up her face with make up before dressing in a dark grey skirt suit set with a deep purple blouse underneath her jacket. It felt odd to be stepping into work clothes again after months of spending her days in jeans and tees with tennis shoes or flip flops.

And after slipping into her deep purple heels, Mollie Garrison grabbed her brief case, purse and keys, heading for her car.

The drive to Global was short and in her mind, Mollie thought it wasn't long enough. She felt butterflies creep into the pit of her belly as she rounded the corner seeing the parking garage and building to the right of her.

She knew she had no other choice but to park in the garage. Her heart began to race as she pulled inside the dimly lit structure and found a spot on her floor. Images of that day began to flash back in her mind. As she parked her car, she squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out the memories.

She opened them and took a deep breath. She had to overcome this. It was all apart of the recovery. She grabbed her purse and stepped out of her car. Straightening her suit, she walked briskly to the elevator and made her way inside.

Once she stepped in Global, she instantly felt back at home. She flashed her badge to the front desk and made her way up to another set of elevators to see Barbara before meeting with Vince.

The doors opened on Barbara's floor, and Mollie made her way around the cubicles to her office. She softly knocked on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in…"

The older woman behind the mahogany desk looked up at who was entering her office and she quickly scooted away from the piled before her, walking towards Mollie.

"Oh my dear! You're here! Welcome back!" Barbara hugged her gingerly. "Do you have a moment to sit and talk?"

"No, but I promise I'll come by once I'm done upstairs." Mollie smiled. "I just wanted to pop in real quick on my way up and say hello."

"Yes, of course. I'll see you soon. In the mean time, I'll go through pay roll." Barbara rolled her eyes at the tediously daunting task.

Mollie winked. "I'll be back."

She left Barbara's office and headed back to the elevator. She got on the elevator and headed to Vince's office. The butterflies began to flutter once again but settled as she stood outside Vince's office. Mollie nodded at Vince's secretary as she walked to the door. She knocked and heard him tell her to come in.

She entered the spacious office and saw the head of World Wrestling Entertainment behind his desk, glasses pushed down on the bridge of his nose.

"Mollie," he greeted her. She shook his hand and sat down. "You look well. How are you?"

"I'm great, sir. Thank you," she smiled.

"Now, what brings you here?" he asked.

"I'd like to come back to work," she replied. "I wanted to come speak to you in person about it instead of on the phone."

"That's great news," he replied. "We've missed you around here."

"Thank you, sir," she nodded.

"Bragging Rights is in three weeks, so there's about to be a lot of buildup to it. How about letting you work and catch up in the office for a couple of weeks and then you can go back out on the road the week before the pay-per-view?" he suggested.

"I think that sounds excellent. I'm sure the piles have accumulated at my desk." Mollie mentioned. "I want to personally thank you though sir for allowing me to have this time off."

"Mollie, you're one of my best employees. And I'm not saying that to butter you. Vince McMahon doesn't butter anyone up." He pointed out. "You've learned a lot in such a short time with this massive company and I really see a true potential in you for a higher position. I'd like to be able to work out anything with you that I can."

Mollie was shocked at the Chairman's high praise. "Thank...thank you, sir."

"And just so we're clear, let suppress any doubts that you might have regarding the fact that the face of the company has anything to do with my decision. Just because you're of Cena's highest interest doesn't mean that this is all special treatment."

"I never..."

"I know but that doesn't mean that one day someone might think that. My daughter enjoys your work as well and she's sometimes harder to impress than I." Vince leaned back in his chair.

"Well thank you." Mollie blushed. She never wanted her job to gain ground just because of her relationship with John. However, it heightened Mollie's curiosity at how Vince knew of it. Pushing the thought aside, Mollie asked, "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"Not a thing. We'll see you on Monday, bright and early. I'll personally see to it that your desk is in working order for your return. You have two weeks to straighten things up in your office and then we'll see you out on the road to get your feet wet before the big day." Vince reminded her.

Mollie stood, knowing that was her invitation to leave. "Thank you again." She held her hand out and Vince shook the petite out reached hand.

With an extra bounce in her step and a look of excitement, Mollie left the Chairman's office and headed back down to see her HR Manager.

Barbara was outside of her office speaking with her secretary when she noticed the redhead rounding the corner. She motioned for Mollie to come back to her office. The two ladies stepped inside and sat down.

"Well, I must say that you look great," Barbara told her.

"Thank you," Mollie replied. "How are things going?"

"Good…just busy," Barbara noted. "So…what was the meeting about?"

"I'm coming back to work Monday," Mollie told her.

"That's great. Hallelujah!" Barbara laughed.

"I'm going to be here in the office for two weeks and then I'm going back out on the road," Mollie continued.

"So…tell me. How are you and John doing?" Barbara asked.

"How does everyone know this?" Mollie laughed. "Even Vince knew."

"Word gets around," Barbara reminded her. "But it's all good. Everyone just wants you to be happy. They know you've been through hell."

Mollie nodded. "I am happy."

"That's good my dear. You've got a special place in my heart, and I'm always here if you need anything," Barbara said as she gave Mollie's hand a squeeze.

"That means a lot," Mollie smiled. "Thank you. Now…I'm not going to keep you any longer. I'll see you next week."

"We'll get lunch one day while you're here," Barbara offered. "My treat."

"That sounds great. Bye," Mollie said as she got up and hugged her friend. Mollie left and headed back to her car. She planned on going to the grocery store before going back to her apartment. This time, her return trip through the parking garage went smoother. She knew she had overcome so much, and that she wasn't going to let Ben win.

On her way to the store, Mollie made do on her promise and called John back.

"Good God woman, I've been on pins and needles over here!" John jokingly answered the phone.

Mollie laughed. His sense of humor was ridiculous sometimes. "It all went really well. I stopped by to see Barbara on my way out. That's why it took so long."

John had to mentally recollect who Barbara was. There were nearly thousands on the payroll. Then he recalled Mollie talking about her and it clicked. "Oh. So, what's the verdict?"

"I'll be back on the road the week before Bragging Rights in order to get my road feet again. Until then, it's sorting through what I'm sure are massive piles in my office." Mollie explained.

That news seemed to disappoint the former champ. With all that's been going on while he's been on the road; him joining NEXUS just nearly a week ago, the character changes, the lack of having Mollie beside him at night, and the fact that come the first week of October, he'd be starting to film his new movie 'Blood Brothers' the news was a low blow. "Oh." He definitely sounded disappointed.

"I know - it's not soon enough." Mollie picked up on his disappointment. "But, I'm back to work. So, that's what matters. This job is my life just as much as it is yours. It won't be long before we're together."

"I know." John sighed. "So where are you off to now?"

"The grocery store! My cupboards are collecting cobwebs!" Mollie laughed.

"Well, I'll try my best to get away and see you but we start filming Blood Brothers soon in New Mexico," John reported.

"I forgot all about that," Mollie replied, now showing her disappointment.

"I'll make sure I have my laptop and we can Skype," he assured her.

"You think of everything…that's just one of the many, MANY things I love about you," Mollie smiled.

"I love you, too. I'll call you tonight after the show," he sighed.

"I'll be waiting…" she replied. She hung up the phone with John and headed to the grocery store. She was glad to be back and ready to get back to work.


	34. Chapter 34 Meeting Fabo

Mollie arrived at the Target Center in Minneapolis, MN bright and early. This was her first live event since returning to work, and the butterflies in her stomach were life soaring eagles. She had officially been back at work in Stamford for two weeks, and Vince wasted no time in keeping her busy.

_Flashback_

_Mollie sat at her desk answering some emails when her phone rang. "Mollie Garrison," she answered._

"_Mollie…" Vince McMahon's secretary Michelle replied. "Mr. McMahon would like to speak to you for a few moments."_

"_Bad?" Mollie asked._

"_Not sure but I don't think so," Michelle replied._

"_I'll be right there," Mollie told her as she hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She had only been back at work for a week, so she hoped she hadn't already screwed something up._

_She made her way up to Vince's office, finding the door open. She walked in when Vince motioned her inside._

"_Mollie," he began. "I have a project for you. We're planning a three hour 'Old School' Raw for November 15__th__ in Hershey, Pennsylvania."_

"_Yes sir," Mollie answered. "I saw that coming up on the schedule."_

"_And I'm putting you in charge of gathering talent for the show. You can speak to HR about contact information for everyone. Some like Dusty Rhodes and Arn Anderson will be easy to contact but others might take a little work. We need 25-30 confirmations, and we'll fit them into the show accordingly," Vince told her._

_Mollie smiled. She felt honored to be put in charge of such an important show. "Yes sir. I'll get right on that."_

_Vince nodded, "I knew I could count on you."_

"_Thank you," she replied. She got up and headed back to her office. Before she got there she stopped off in HR and spoke to Barbara. "Barbara…I need your help."_

"_Anything for you Mollie. What's up?" the older lady told her._

"_Vince has put me in charge of the Old School episode, so I need contact information on just about any Legend you can and pray they show up for me," Mollie half laughed._

"_They will…" she assured Mollie. She sat at her computer for a bit and pulled Mollie an Excel spreadsheet of contact information. "Here honey."_

"_Thank you…now, I need to get to work!" Mollie said as she left Barbara and headed back to her office._

She collected her things from the trunk and moved quickly into the arena. She had a busy, busy afternoon filled with organizing meetings and passing out schedules and scripts. While it was almost too busy to handle, Mollie loved the thrill the rush was giving her. And it was taking her mind off of her nerves. Today, she was meeting one of the most important people in John's life, his father. The two of them discussed this fact several times during their many SKYPE chats while John was in New Mexico filming his new movie.

_Flashback_

_Mollie sat down at her computer at the scheduled time, waiting for John's laptop to 'call' her. This had been their nightly routine for the entire time John had been out west filming his new movie Blood Brothers. John was extremely busy, but he wouldn't miss his time with Mollie._

_Just then her computer 'rang' and she answered. She smiled when she saw her prince on the screen, then she noticed the cut above his right eye._

_"Please tell me that's makeup," she said with a raised eyebrow._

_"It is...I had a fight scene with Ethan today," John smiled. "How's my girl?"_

_"I'm good...I miss you," she replied._

_"I miss you, too. How's work?" he asked._

_"Busy...I got put in charge of the Old School episode," she told him. _

_"I know you'll do a good job. Only a week and a half until Bragging Rights," he reminded her._

_She sighed, "Seems like forever."_

_"Me too. But on the other hand Fabo has talked non-stop about meeting you," John smiled._

_"I'm scared to death, John. What if he hates me?" Mollie asked, freaked out._

_"He's going to love you. Just like I do," John told her for the millionth time._

Mollie smiled at the thought. She just hoped he was right. With a sigh and a smile, Mollie passed through the halls.

"Mollie!" A deep voice called from just behind her. The red head stopped in her tracks as she recognized the gruff young voice.

"Randy!" Mollie smiled. The tall man with the tattooed arms encircled her quickly. "I've missed you."

"We've missed you." He said as he hugged her. "More importantly John missed you."

"I know. And as much as I would love to chat, I've got a lot to do! Do you know where he is?" Mollie asked.

"I haven't seen him. I'm sure he'll find you." Randy smirked. "Good to have you back. Let's all do dinner soon?"

"Most definitely." Mollie smiled and carried on with her mission to find search for John.

As she continued to search backstage several Superstars, Divas, and employees spotted her and welcomed her back. Mollie's heart sank when she realized Brooklyn wouldn't be there, but she knew B was strong and would be ok in the end. She pushed the thought out of her mind and continued to search for John. She rounded a corner and saw John and Stu going over specifics for the night. John looked up and spotted the redhead making her way to them.

He scooped her up and swung her around. "Finally baby," he smiled as he kissed her lips.

"I know..." she replied.

Stu stood back and watched the two lovers reunite. He was very glad to see Mollie back on the road, but his heart also sank because he was reminded of Brooklyn. John was very lucky to have Mollie in his life.

"Man, I've missed you so much." John planted a sweet kiss on her lips. She smiled up at him when they broke part.

"Me too." Mollie winked. She looked to Stu and frankly it had been the first time since she'd heard the full story of he and Brooklyn that she'd laid eyes on him. "Stu." She greeted shortly.

"Nice to have you back, Mollie." He smiled and felt slightly uncomfortable now standing there. He wasn't sure if Mollie hated him, but couldn't blame her if she did. That and he knew how much John was looking forward to seeing his girlfriend. "Well, Cena, we'll talk later."

"You know, it's hard not to claw his eyes out," Mollie said as she looked back at Stu walking away.

"Easy there tiger," John laughed to himself.

"Hey…you hurt one of my friends you hurt me," Mollie replied. "He's lucky I don't knock his teeth down his throat."

"It's not our place to get involved. Believe me, though. I've already thought about doing that several times," John assured her.

"So…when is your dad going to be here?" Mollie asked.

"He'll be here before the show," John said. He led her into his dressing room. After making sure the coast was clear, he pulled Mollie close and into a deep, passionate kiss. His hands roamed up and down her sides and hips. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, "but until then I've waited a long time to do that."

"And I've waited a long time for it." She said softly. "Do you think I can get a couple more of those?"

"Absolutely." John smiled as he again closed the gap between the two.

It was unbelievable the way they made each other feel. Sparks flew and hormones ran high as the two made out in the locker room, however, it they did need air and when they broke apart for it, a knock at the door interrupted further "I've missed you" kisses.

"Come in." John called out. Mollie stepped out of his grasp for a moment to compose herself.

Ted DiBiase Jr. poked his head in this time and smiled upon seeing his hometown friend. "Well look at what the cat dragged in. I heard a rumor you'd be back today."

"And I've waited a long time for it." She said softly. "Do you think I can get a couple more of those?"

"Absolutely." John smiled as he again closed the gap between the two.

It was unbelievable the way they made each other feel. Sparks flew and hormones ran high as the two made out in the locker room, however, it they did need air and when they broke apart for it, a knock at the door interrupted further "I've missed you" kisses.

"Come in." John called out. Mollie stepped out of his grasp for a moment to compose herself.

Ted DiBiase Jr. poked his head in this time and smiled upon seeing his hometown friend. "Well look at what the cat dragged in. I heard a rumor you'd be back today."

"Hey Teddy..." Mollie smiled as she was once again wrapped up in muscular arms.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good. Glad to be back," Mollie replied.

"Well, I know we're all glad to have you back. Especially this guy," he nodded to John who had taken refuge on the couch.

"That's true," John agreed.

"I'll see you guys later. I just wanted to come by and say hi," Ted told them, noticing the fact they wanted to be alone.

"Bye honey," Mollie said as she hugged him again. She then closed the door behind her and turned her attention back to the gorgeous man sitting on the couch.

"Now...where were we?" John smirked as she sat back down on the couch beside him. Then, Mollie felt her Blackberry vibrate in her pocket.

Both Mollie and John groaned. This wasn't how either wanted to spend their first few minutes back in one another's arms but they were both at work and both had pressing engagements.

Mollie looked at her incoming message and sighed. "It's my alarm. You've got a 'Legendary' conference call in two minutes." Then she realized his phone didn't go off. She'd set reminders for him via his calendar through her computer about his engagements. "Where's your Blackberry?"

"Uh… off and in my bag." John answered innocently.

"Cena!" Mollie shook her head. She hurried over to his bag, fished the phone out and turned it on before handing it to him. "They'll be calling you any second."

John took the phone from her and sighed. "Fine." He knew he had to work, he just missed her too damn much and that pesky 'w' word was getting in his way at the moment.

Mollie half smirked. "I need to get back to work." She pressed a quick kiss to his lips and moved to the door as John's phone started ringing. "There will be plenty of catching up time once this thing is over tonight."

And just as fast as she arrived, she was gone, leaving John to answer. "John Cena." He picked up just before the phone call went to voicemail.

As John was on his call, Mollie headed back through the halls. She needed to collect her things again and start getting things in place. Bragging Rights would kick off in just a few hours.

Mollie was handed a stack of scripts that were to be handed out as soon as possible, so she made that her first priority. This gave her a chance to see more people backstage that she hadn't seen since her return. Then she was summoned to Stephanie McMahon's makeshift office backstage. She knocked on the door and entered in. Stephanie was finishing a phone call.

"Hi Mollie," Stephanie greeted her with a warm smile.

"Hi," Mollie replied. "You wanted to see me?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven't been in the office much since the baby was born, so I haven't had the chance to talk to you since your return," Stephanie explained. "I know the world thinks I'm some heartless bitch but I do care about our employees. Dad likes you. I like you. I know the entire roster adores you. I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks. It means a lot." Mollie smiled. It truly made her feel good that the hard work she put in before her incident still reflected well on the Chairman and the rest of the board.

"I know you have a lot of work to do, so I'll let you go." Stephanie smiled. "I'll be seeing you."

Mollie knew that was Stephanie's way of politely dismissing her. She took it for what it was and left Stephanie's office.

After what seemed like forever of countless steps down halls, ins and outs of make shift offices and locker rooms, Mollie was finally able to meet up with John again, just thirty minutes before show time. Her nerves built as she stepped closer towards the locker room door. She knew that there was a important man awaiting her arrival on the other side of the door.

Mollie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She heard John say come in, so she gathered herself and walked in. John and his father were sitting on the couch catching up with sports on ESPN. They both stood as she entered the room.

"Hey baby," John smiled as he hugged Mollie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Dad," he said, turning his attention to Senior, "this is Mollie Garrison." He turned back to Mollie. "Baby, this is the one and only Johnny Fabulous. John Cena, Sr."

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Mollie extended her hand for Fabo to shake and she was shocked when he pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Mollie, my dear, the pleasure is all mine." Fabo smiled.

Mollie still taken aback by the older Cena's gesture, just blushed. "Thank you."

"Here...sit down," John motioned. "Have you got time?"

"Yeah, I've got time before the show starts," Mollie told him.

"Mollie, I'm so glad to finally get to meet the girl who has brought a smile back to my son's face," Fabo began. His Massachusetts accent was very thick.

"Sir, he's done a lot more for me than I could possibly ever do for him," Mollie replied with her own thick Southern drawl. "I don't know what I would have done without him these past few months."

Fabo understood the circumstances in which Mollie alluded to. "John kept me updated on what happened. How are you doing?"

"I'm great. I got a clean bill of health from the doctor recently. And this is my first day back out on the road," Mollie replied.

"Good. That's good." Fabo smiled. "John tells me you're from Mississippi."

"Yeah. It's not exactly a single stop light town, but close." Mollie giggled.

John just sat back and watched as Mollie and his father chatted. It really warmed his heart to see the sight before him. Her eyes were bright and shinning, her giggle and laugh infectious. His father was delighted to be in conversation with the Southern red head.

"Mollie, I'd really love it, if schedules permit of course, if that you join us for the holidays this year. They aren't that far off you know." Fabo smiled. John felt his heart skip two beats as he awaited her answer.

"I'd love to. I'll go see my folks a few days beforehand and then come on up there," Mollie thought aloud. "Thank you for the invitation."

John breathed an inward sigh of relief. He didn't know his dad was going to go there, but he was glad he did. He planned on bringing up the subject soon, but he wasn't sure how to ask. He didn't want to freak Mollie out so soon in the relationship.

Mollie once again felt her Blackberry go off. "Excuse me," she told them as she pulled out her phone and read the message. "Ugh...apparently there's a problem in wardrobe for the Nattie/LayCool match tonight. I have to go make sure everything's ok. Mr. Cena..."

"No, no Mollie. No Mr. Cena. Call me Fabo like everyone else does," John's dad told her.

"Ok...Fabo...I'll see you after the show?" Mollie asked.

"Yes ma'am," he said as he gave her another hug and a kiss on the cheek.

John did the same. "I'll see you in a little bit." Mollie waved goodbye to both men and bolted out of the room.

"Son…" Fabo looked to his second eldest. "That's one amazing woman you've got there."

Pride filled Junior's chest. "Thanks Pop." He smiled. "I love her."

"I know and she loves you." Fabo felt it in his heart that John's beloved felt the same as his son did. "She's the kind of woman you don't want to let go of. Believe me."

"I know." John nodded. "I don't plan on it."

"Good. You step mother will be happy to have a new female face around for Christmas." Fabo laughed.

"Yeah, thanks for that by the way. I was going to bring it up, but you beat me to the punch." John sighed.

"No need. I don't welcome people I don't like or care for into my home. You know well enough." Fabo commented, speaking in retrospect of John's ex-wife. When things would be sour between husband and wife, Fabo would neglect Liz into the warmth of the Cena family for all of her wrong doing.

"That I do." John agreed. "I don't think we have to worry about Mollie though."

"I should hope not." Fabo laughed. "So about this match tonight…"

"Actually two…" John corrected his dad. "I'm getting the tag championship tonight with Otunga but giving it up tomorrow on Raw. Then I'm going to attack Barrett and get him disqualified tonight. He wins the match…just not the title."

"Sounds interesting. How's this Nexus thing going?" his dad asked.

John nodded, "It's ok. Different. Trying."

His dad stood up and squeezed his son's shoulder. "If anyone can pull it off, you can. I'm going to go head for my seat. Stay safe."

John stood up and hugged his father. Even though at one time he had been against John's choice of profession, he was more supportive now than John could have ever asked for.

"Thanks Pop," he said. "I'll catch you after the show." John's dad nodded and made his way to his seat in the arena, leaving the younger Cena to his thoughts. He knew Mollie was running around backstage with work, but just the fact of her being here made him feel so much better. His missing piece was back where it belonged, on the road with him. Even though her past was now burning in hell for what he had done, he still felt this incurable need to look over Mollie and keep her safe. He'd never let harm come to the love of his life again.


	35. Chapter 35 Bragging Rights

A/N: It's hard to believe we're nearing the end of this. I've tried to write this story on three separate occasions but I've always ended ups topping. I'm so thankful for Tabitha and her help in finishing out this idea. There are only a couple more chapters left, and we sincerely hope that you've enjoyed it. Once again…and probably for the last time…we own nothing but Brooklyn and Mollie.

Mollie knew she'd be able to see John for just a few minutes before the creative meeting, so she scurried through the rest of her duties and made her way to the gathering spot. John and Randy were going over some last minute details when he spotted Mollie. He left Randy and bolted to her.

"Hey baby…we're just going over everything," he said with a quick kiss on her lips.

"I'm sorry I had to bolt from your dad," Mollie apologized. "Was he mad?"

"Baby no…he understands. And I don't want you to think I hadn't thought about inviting you up for Christmas. I just…didn't know how to ask," John apologized as well.

"It's ok. It was a nice surprise," Mollie smiled. "So…the meeting's about to start. I'll see you after the show. Stay safe…"

"I will…" he told her. One more quick kiss and hug and then the meeting began.

As the noise of constant chatter calmed, Vince and Stephanie both took their places at the head of the head of the room. Each ran through their list of items that needed to be discussed such as how match were going to roll out for the night, the promo order according to script and the outcomes of each match. Finally just before the meeting was dismissed, Vince had a final note to make.

"And as most of you know, we've been missing an important person to our daily grind since just after SummerSlam, but she's back with us tonight, full time and on the road. Let's just give a gentle welcome back to Mollie Garrison, head of Talent Scheduling and Affairs." Vince said and the room erupted in applause as Mollie shyly stepped forward, a heated blush flushing her cheeks while her eyes moistened with tears of joy. She had never really realized how much all these people meant to her and she sure had no idea how much she meant to them until now.

She caught John's eye and he had a grin across his face. He looked proud and there was not a feeling in the world that Mollie would trade with at that moment as her chest swelled in admiration for her beloved.

Vince and Stephanie went through their normal meeting routine and then dismissed everyone to go get ready. Mollie nodded to John as he left. She didn't want to bother him because she knew he needed to focus and get in that zone. She exited the meeting room and perched herself in front of a monitor as the show began.

After Teddy defeated Goldust, Layla defeated Natalya, and Daniel Bryan defeated Dolph Ziggler, a surprise match was thrown in. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre came out to the ring and announced that they were out to defend their Tag Team Championship against mystery opponents. Then David Otunga went out to the Nexus music. Then the familiar trumpets announced the arrival of John Cena.

Mollie pulled out her copy of the script, in which she hadn't even had a chance to look at. Sure enough…John and Otunga were in a match with Cody & Drew.

"Hmmm…I'll have to get him for not telling me," Mollie said to herself as she watched the relatively short match. John locked up Cody in the STF for the win with Otunga doing none of the work. He then took both belts and celebrated. John ended that celebration with an Attitude Adjustment and celebrated. After a few minutes he headed backstage. Mollie ran to the gorilla position to meet him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she laughed.

"I can't keep it. Tomorrow night on Raw we've gotta give them up to Slater and Gabriel," John told her as he headed to the showers.

"Oh…" Mollie replied. "Come by for a second before you go out for your other match?"

"Yes ma'am," he smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Mollie stayed stationary in her spot near the gorilla and caught the SmackDown versus Raw match on the nearby monitor. Like last year, SmackDown won the traditional style Tag Team Elimination Match and the Raw fans weren't thrilled as the booed from the crowd. Mollie decided that she wanted to be somewhere quiet to watch the last two matches since there was a hustle near the gorilla for the Undertaker and Kane 'Buried Alive' match.

She found peace and quiet in catering with a few crew members who weren't need. Sitting at a table alone near the monitor, Mollie watched as the Phenom and the Devil's Son went at it. Taker was attacking Kane with everything that wasn't nailed down in the arena and he was close to winning the match by burying Kane alive but four members of NEXUS came out and attacked the Deadman himself, leaving Kane the easy way to winning and burying him alive! Mollie knew the outcome was because Mark needed shoulder surgery but it was just an ill setting feeling seeing Undertaker buried alive and being beaten at his own game against his "brother".

Just as the ending was being dragged out Mollie felt two large arms wrap around her shoulders and lips press into her red hair at the top of her head. "Next time at least tell me where you'll be so I can find you easier." John laughed into her ear.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I just got so caught up in everything. Sometimes I have to stop and remind myself not to watch as a fan but as an employee."

"It's ok…" he said, turning her around to face him. "I'm just glad you're here to watch, period."

"Me too," she replied. "You don't know how bad I've not only missed you but all this."

"And I think it's pretty obvious everyone missed you too by that round of applause you got," he reminded her.

"Yeah…left me totally speechless," she said as she hugged him. She nestled her ear right over his heart so she could hear it beating. For some strange reason, that was a comforting sound to her.

"Listen…Where do you want to go after the show?" he asked. "Dinner?"

"What about your dad?" Mollie asked.

"He'll be ready to crash early and catch his plane home in the morning, so it's just you and me," John told her.

"We'll figure that out after the show," Mollie replied.

"Ok…I'm going to catch up with Randy and Stu. I'll meet you…right here," he smiled.

"Yes sir…" Mollie laughed. "I won't move."

Mollie hunkered down for John's final match, where he was the corner man for Stu's WWE Championship match against Randy. This was one of those times she wished Brooklyn was around because she was highly aware of the bomb that Stu was dropping at the beginning of this match. If John did not stay ringside and "Wade" lost, John could be "fired" from the WWE.

Entrances were played and everyone was introduced. Wade grabbed the mic and turned to John who was still on the ring apron. He informed John and the crows that if he didn't win this match, John Cena would be fired.

John watched on as the match began. The action went back and forth for several minutes before the referee was incapacitated and Nexus came down to assault Randy. John jumped in the ring and cleared it of any Nexus members before Wade could be disqualified. When Wade turned to John, he began explaining why he lashed out at his Nexus "allies." Randy then continued his assault on Wade and then turned his attention to John. Instead of John attacking Randy, he gave an Attitude Adjustment to Wade. This caused Randy to be disqualified and Wade won the match. For his actions, Randy RKO'd John and then celebrated with his belt.

"Wow…" Mollie said to herself backstage. "Good one."

Once the WWE Logo appeared on the monitor, Mollie knew that the pay per view was over and that John would be back soon to get her. She didn't want to have him searching all over for her again so as he requested, she stayed put.

Eventually, not long after the match and as the houselights were brought up inside the arena, John came for his love.

"You look tired." Mollie commented.

"Nothing a shower can't fix." He smiled as he kissed her sweetly. Randy gave a passing cat call as he made his way towards his locker room.

Mollie blushed and giggled at once. "I love you." She couldn't help but say it. She'd missed him so much and being in his presence alone made her glow.

John winked with a smirk. "I love you too." He grabbed her hand and started towards the hall. "Come on, I want to shower and say bye to Pop before we go eat."

Mollie smiled. "Alright."

After saying goodbye to Fabo, Mollie waited patiently in the locker room while John got a shower. That is when Stu entered the locker room.

"Stu…" Mollie said.

"Mollie," he replied. "I…uh…"

"You what?" she asked smartly.

"I just wanted to say that I'm really glad you're back," he said, not saying what he had intended.

Then as he turned to walk away he paused a moment and looked at Mollie. He saw the spot next to her on the couch was empty so he took up residence.

Mollie eyed him oddly. "What?"

Stu sighed, letting out a breath he seemed to have been holding. "How is she?"

Mollie scoffed. "She's a brunette."

"Mollie..." Stu wanted more than just a shocking new fact.

"She's been better. I won't lie. You hurt her. But in time I'm sure she'll be just fine." Mollie answered coldly. Then she sighed. "Look, I'm sorry but she's my best friend and I am fighting every urge to kick your damn teeth in for what you've done."

The little outburst from his one time friend shocked the Brit. "Mollie, I can't apologize enough. I have no answer or reasons for my actions and believe me, each time I see Maryse, this unmistakable feeling of guilt runs through me. I'm completely ill over the situation."

"Then you shouldn't have done it to begin with." Mollie fired back.

"Believe me, I know." Stu sighed. "I'll always love her. I do love her, tremendously. I've never seen hurt on someone and when we talked in person, believe me it's a sight I never want to see again."

Mollie sighed. She didn't feel bad for the Englishman's guilt, in fact, she welcomed it. She wasn't a spiteful person but she did have a best friend to look out for. "I can't say that we're on good terms, Stu, but because we work together, I'll make it amicable."

"I understand." Stu nodded and stood from his position on the couch. "It really is nice to have you back."

Mollie nodded in thanks and watched as he left her there to wait on John. What she didn't know was that John was listening in on each word since Mollie said the word 'brunette'.

"Did you just tell him you want to kick his teeth in?" John laughed boisterously.

"So." Mollie pouted.

John loved the spitfire attitude of his girlfriend.

Mollie tried to keep a straight face but she burst out into laughter herself. "Ok…so what if I did?"

"Nothing…just remind me not to piss you off," he said with a grin as he gathered his things. "You ready?"

"Sure am baby," she replied as she gathered her things as well and the two of them headed to their hotel room. About fifteen minutes later after fighting the crowds of fans outside, John and Mollie were on their way to the hotel. John called ahead and ordered room service for the two of them. When they arrived back, Mollie immediately flung herself on the bed with a huge sigh.

"That bad?" John asked.

"Just took a lot out of me tonight. I'll get used to it again though," she replied as she set up. The food was delivered shortly thereafter as the two of them ate and chatted.

"How are your folks?" he asked

"They're good," Mollie answered with a mouthful of lettuce. She had ordered a grill chicken salad while John opted for a grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables. "And I think I even talked them into ordering the pay-per-view tonight."

"Really?" John asked.

"Yeah…they've been watching regularly now to see you and what you're up to," Mollie replied.

"I'm flattered. You've got great parents," he said with a smile.

"So…after we eat would you like to rent a movie?" Mollie asked.

"Yeah," John said with a wink. "Just like old times."

As John placed the cart of dirty dishes back into the hall, Mollie flipped through the menu selection of movies to rent through their television. She decided on Jonah Hex, not that it looked any good, but it was the only thing that seemed decent enough that John would watch. Everything else was a chick flick or a cartoon.

"What'd you pick?" John asked as he sat back on the in-room couch, flinging his arm over the back side allowing Mollie to snuggle in.

"Jonah Hex." Mollie sighed. John gave her 'the eye' and Mollie laughed. "It was the only thing that looked decent!"

"Alright." John winked playfully and snuggled into the corner of the couch a little more as Mollie continued to snuggle into him.

They weren't even fifteen minutes into the film before both Mollie and John were bored. But they continued to watch anyway. Mollie was happy to be snuggled up with her man. His body was a warmth she missed.

She hummed contently and John didn't miss it. "What?" He asked.

Mollie sat up so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and sit on his lap. "I'm content." She said softly.

"Oh." John whispered back. "I love you." He smiled.

"I love you too." Mollie whispered back as she was the one to close the gap between their faces, placing a soft but pressured kiss on his lips.

John was first to deepen the kiss as his tongue danced across Mollie's bottom lip, allowing him access to her honeyed taste. Mollie moaned into this kiss and John could barely swallow the smirk he had. He liked making Mollie feel good and he enjoyed making out with her. Their kisses were soft but passionate and loving.

As they made out, John had his hand cupped to Mollie's face while she still had hers around his neck. However, John received a bit of a shock when she switched positions and start straddling his lap, taking over the control of their kisses. Their tongues danced and as they tangoed, John's hands ran over the backside material of Mollie's button down shirt. He managed to untuck the garment from her pants in order for his hands to touch her bare flesh. He knew it wouldn't go any further than this but to feel her skin beneath his strong hands satisfied him.

Mollie enjoyed the feeling of John's hands running over her back as their tongues roamed each crevice of space in one another's mouths but tonight, she finally wanted more. She was ready to step back into that intimate position with John and she planned on indicating to him just that.

She removed her hands from around his neck and guided them down to the hem of his shirt. With a quick tug up, over his head and barely breaking their kiss, the material soon hit the floor at his feet.

This caught him off guard and he stopped kissing Mollie. "Mollie..." He said breathlessly.

A devilish glint in her eye told him that things were about to change. Mollie's delicate and dainty hands started undoing the small pearlized buttons down the front of her shirt and John felt his stomach flip in anticipation. Nothing had been sexier to him than this moment, right now, watching Mollie undress before him. Then for some reason he stopped her. His hands covered hers, stopping her movements.

"Are you sure?" He asked. He didn't want to, no; he couldn't go this far with her again and have her regret it. He sure as hell didn't the first time and he wouldn't now, but it was Mollie who wished they hadn't moved that fast to begin with.

A simple nod from the red head on his lap was enough of an answer for him as he now took over with unbuttoning her blouse. As the garment gave way to her bra covered breasts and flat stomach, John's breath caught. Mollie's light colored skin was a gorgeous contrast against the material of her black pants, black bra and deep purple cotton shirt. He pulled her close to him and captured her lips again and it was Mollie this time who moaned at the feeling the rush of passion was giving her.

John's kiss moved from the depths of Mollie's mouth to her neck as he slipped the material from her shoulders kissing each tender spot in the wake of the fabric. Mollie's head rolled back as John's lips ran down her chest between the valley of her breasts as he breathed in the scent of her. Soon enough, the purple garment was lost to the floor as was John's shirt and his kiss continued to explore her flesh from the chest up as she still straddled his lap.

"Make love to me John." Mollie whispered in his ear as he kissed just above her breasts.

She didn't have to ask him twice as he got the hint the first time. Gently, he gripped at Mollie's hips as he stood the two of them up while Mollie's ankles locked at the back of John's waist. He began kissing her again passionately as he carried her to their bed.

Laying her on her back, Mollie's ankles unlocked and allowed John to crawl up towards her and hover. His dog tags hung between their bodies like a chain to a ceiling light.

"God, you're so beautiful." John whispered as his left hand went to caress her face lightly.

The feather light touch combined with his words made Mollie's heart swell against her chest. She smiled lightly at him as she reached up, giving a light pull on the balled chain of John's tags, bringing him closer to her lips until they touched.

John's senses went into overdrive as his right hand supported his weight while the left continued to trace down the contours of Mollie's body. When he reached the button of her work pants, he skillfully single handedly unbuttoned them. Moving back slight from Mollie's kiss just long enough to remove the black fabric, John was quick to reconnect.

And as the two continued to kiss, John's hand roamed from knee to thigh to hip as he continued to kiss her.

Mollie was working on John's belt and shorts as he was giving her a gentle caress and she, herself managed to catch him up with her style. Once his belt was undone and the button out of the hole, John was free to kick off his jean shorts and quickly he did.

The two were so close that the only thing separating them was undergarments and those were thin layers at best. John's fingers snagged at the waistband of Mollie's panties and she lifted her rear from the bed just long enough to allow him to remove her panties and then he was back to her lips again, this time, situated between her legs.

As John managed to slide his boxers down his hips, Mollie sat up to watch. For a split second she forgot what it felt like to have him inside of her and she grew timid at his size and length. But then she remembered the full feeling it gave her that night and how she didn't want to live without it again. Suddenly, Mollie grew even more excited at what was awaiting her.

John watched her as she kept a close eye on him, slipping his boxers off of his hips before stepping out of them to rejoin her in bed. He love the way passion flushed her cheeks and how eroticism shined in her eyes. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Moving between her legs to begin a night of lovemaking and passion, John took a moment to capture Mollie's lips in hers and with much talent, managed to unclasp her bra, tossing it aside like it never mattered. A flash of their first night together spoke volumes in his mind and he wasn't sure if tonight meant more because of how much they'd shared and grown together in the last couple months or if it was because he truly loved her with every fiber of his soul and being, but something tonight meant more to John than anything in the world.

His left hand now was the side to trail down Mollie's cream colored skin as he kissed her deeply, passionately, lovingly. And when his fingers came into contact with her center Mollie gasped in their kiss. Her womanhood was ready for him and with a sense of pride that no other man could explain, John carefully entered his beloved.

Again, Mollie gasped at the full feeling he gave her and John waited a moment before setting a pace to allow Mollie to adjust to his girth and length. John knew the moment Mollie relaxed around him because her walls gave way just slightly allow him to begin his pace.

Slowly, John moved in and out of Mollie's honeyed center, creating immense pleasure and gentle friction for the both of them. Her passionate sighs and soft moans match his gentle grunts as they made love together. She would whisper his name in his ear and just a pinch more of passion licked at his spine with each passive call.

When both were nearing their climatic end, Mollie's hips bucked against John's pace allowing the first wave of her orgasm to wash over her in waves and mid rush for Mollie was enough to peak John's highest point of ecstasy as he filled Mollie with his seed. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through both of their veins simultaneously.

Eventually, John was able to leave the confines of Mollie's depths and Mollie was quick to miss his warmth as their bodies had been one for sometime. With John at Mollie's side, he pulled the turned down sheet over their lightly sweat sheened bodies, holding her too him as he whispered in her ear and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I'm wonderful," she whispered. Then a yawn escaped her lips.

"You're still gonna be here in the morning, right?" he asked lightheartedly.

She turned to him and put the palm of her hand against his face. "I'll be here as long as you'll have me."

He in turn kissed her hand and pulled her even closer. "You tell me that and I just might take you up on forever."

Mollie laughed. She couldn't imagine her life being any better than it was at this very moment. In the past few months, she had been in the depths of despair and on top of the world. Her life was different, but it was for the better. And the young man holding her was responsible for that. John Cena had become Mollie Garrison's way to a better life.


	36. Chapter 36 Fired?

_**A/N:**__ Ok…I fibbed. I had to put in another author's note because of the events surrounding John Cena the past few days. It totally messed up what I had planned, but I think we've got it figured out. Granted…we're making a lot of this stuff up as we go because we don't know exactly why Cena was "fired." So…stick with us and we promise it will be a great ride. Thank you for all the reviews! ~ The Team_

Sun peaked through the curtains the next morning and found the lovers still wrapped in each others arms. As opposed to the last time, John awoke first and found Mollie still in his arms. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as he snuggled a big closer, taking in a whiff of her fruity shampoo.

Mollie then stirred, realizing that she had two massive arms still wrapped around her. Her mind drifted back to the night before, and she smiled at the memory. This time…no regrets. She wasn't leaving.

She rolled over and faced John. "Good morning."

"Good morning baby," he replied sleepily. "You ok?"

"I'm wonderful," she smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

John broke the kiss and laughed, "You keep that up and we'll never leave."

"But…we'll have to," she reminded him. "Big day…"

"I know…" he sighed.

"But…that doesn't mean we have to leave right now," Mollie told him. "Shower?"

"You read my mind," he replied with a wicked grin. The two of them got up and headed to the shower.

Half an hour later, the two of them emerged and begin getting ready for their day. Mollie would be in meetings while John had media as well as meetings.

It wasn't until nearly show time that they had managed to reconnect again. And this time it was John who found Mollie amidst a ton of papers.

"I was wondering where I'd find you." He laughed interrupting her in a make shift office.

"I'm sorry. It's just been insane." Mollie grumbled. "When I said I was ready to come back, I might have fibbed just a little."

This concerned John a little. He stood next to her and scooted her chair away from the table. "We can fix that."

"No, I mean, I guess I thought those two weeks in the office were enough to catch me up, but I guess not. This," she directed his attention to the stacks of paper, "is why I had to send a runner to pass out calendars, schedules and scripts."

"What is it?" John asked as he started looking around the papers.

"My latest project." Mollie sighed. "Vince assigned me to the 'Legends' Raw since I had come up with decent things for the 900th episode that I just happened to miss because of a crazy ex-husband."

"You told me about that," he remembered. "What's the problem?"

"I'm just worried…I always do. Anytime I get put in charge of something huge I'll be sick until it's over," Mollie laughed nervously.

John stepped behind her and slowly began massaging her shoulders. Mollie let out a slow, quiet moan. "Wow…"

"Does that help?" he asked.

"Oh yeah…I'll give you thirty minutes to stop that," Mollie joked.

"I would if I could, but I've got to meet with Vince," John told her. "I'll see you before the show." With that he gave her a quick kiss on the temple and bolted out the door.

Mollie shook her head as he walked out. How in the world did he find the energy for everything that he did?

John made his way to Vince's makeshift office inside the arena and knocked on the door. He heard Vince tell him to come in and he entered. Vince sat behind a laptop with his glasses pushed down on the bridge of his nose.

"John, sit down," Vince said.

"You needed to see me?" John asked.

"Yes, I wanted to let you know what we've been discussing in creative. Tonight, you're going to be made the special guest referee for Stu and Randy's match at Survivor Series," he began.

John nodded as Vince continued, "The stipulation will be if Randy loses the title you're free from Nexus. If Wade loses the match, you're fired."

"Fired? Really?" John asked.

"Yes, and we're firing you," Vince said bluntly.

John's heart hit the floor. He cleared his throat and asked, "Come again?"

"But it's not what you think. Yes, you'll be 'fired' but you won't miss any TV. You're going to show up each week – the first week after you've bought tickets to the show – and interrupt Nexus matches. Basically make their life a living hell."

John began to feel better about the situation as a sly smile crept across his face. "I like it."

"But I want you to be thinking about what you want to say on Raw the night after you're fired. You have total creative control over this promo because it needs to be totally heartfelt and real. I trust you can handle that," Vince said.

"Yes sir," John answered. "It won't be easy, but I'll come up with something."

"I knew you would," Vince nodded. "Now, have a good show tonight."

John nodded and walked out of the office. His head was spinning. Even though he wasn't really being fired from the WWE, he had to make it look real. How could he do that?"

He needed to find Mollie. He needed to talk with her about this. This wasn't just your ordinary gimmick, this was emotionally driven and a what-could-be real situation. John knew he wouldn't have to go far to find her, she'd be right where he had left her, amongst her piles.

He knocked on the door a waited for her to answer. Once he summonsed him, he entered and Mollie immediately knew something was off.

"What happened?" Mollie asked.

"Good...you're sitting down," he began as he walked over to her side of her desk.

"What?" she asked. "Why?"

"I don't know quiet how to say this so I'm just going to blurt it out. I'm getting fired..." John said with a straight face.

"What?" Mollie exclaimed.

John held it as long as he could. He was enjoying the panicked look on Mollie's face too much. He burst out laughing. "Storyline fired."

"John Cena..." Mollie said as she bolted up from her desk and smacked him on his massive back. "Way to give me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry baby. But the look on your face was priceless." John tried to calm his laughter down and did a pretty good job of it when he saw the glare a testy red head was shooting him.

"Are you done now?" She asked. He nodded. "That was just not funny." Mollie shook her head.

"I'm sorry, again." He smirked and kissed the top of her head.

"So what really did happen?" Mollie asked.

As John recounted his meeting with Vince, Mollie hung on every word and when he talked about his send off, she couldn't help the ill feeling in her stomach at the actual thought of watching him send everyone off.

"What are you going to say?" Mollie asked. She knew that John would put everything into it that he could. Believability meant the world to him and the send off promo would no doubt be emotional.

"I don't know. I think I might just shoot from the gut the moment it happens. There's a lot going on. It'll be my Mom's birthday the week it all happens, and my sister in law is supposed to be having a baby any day now, it's just chaotic. But there is one thing I'm certain of..." He said.

"What?" Mollie looked at him with questioning eyes.

"I want you there. Front and center just behind Cole. Maybe we can convince B to come out just for that. We'll disguise her and the two of you could sit ring side."

"Well, you know I'll be there...no question. Brooklyn...that may be another story. I've barely spoken with her since I left her place. And last I knew she was planning on going back to school. At least that was her plan the last time we did speak."

"Well, my sweet redheaded lady...make it happen for me," he coaxed her with a couple of sweet kisses, first on her forehead and then her cheek. Then he captured her lips in a kiss that was hot enough to make her drop the pen in her hand. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself be explored with John's massive hands.

They broke apart, both catching their breath. Once Mollie regained her composure, she smiled and replied, "I'll make the call."

"Good…" he said with one more quick peck on the lips. "I've got Make a Wish to do right now. But, I'll see you at creative before the show this evening. If you're up to it, I thought we might get a bite to eat afterwards."

"You got it," she smiled. He left for his charity obligations as Mollie continued her work.

A couple of hours later, Mollie gathered her notes for tonight's show and walked to the meeting. She knew John would probably already be there, and she was right. He was in talks with Stu and Randy when Mollie came in. Randy moved down one chair so she could sit down between himself and John. Randy patted the chair and motioned for her to sit.

Mollie smiled and took a seat. John placed his arm around the back of her chair as he continued his conversation with Stu. When he was finished, he gave her a quick smirk as Vince began the meeting.

The red head diligently added notes for the night's show as Vince rattled off what would be happening he started with the promo run downs for the evening and then moved on to the match listings.

"Since we're on the back end of Bragging Rights, we'll continue with inner-brand matches. But to kick off Raw, Otunga and Cena will drop their titles to Miller and Lloyd. From there we'll move to Nemeth and Danielson with Danielson on top, followed by the Divas match with LayCool versus Gail and Melina where LayCool with make out with the win. After Eve cuts her comical promo on Mike, Ron and Mike will go one on one with Mike on top since Kiley will interfere throughout. From there we'll move into Farrelly and Carelli. Anthony, don't disappointment, you'll take top spot there. And then to cap off the night we'll go classic with Cena and Orton where Bennett gets involved and causes Cena to win by DQ. Orton and Bennett the two of you will have a go until the rest of NEXUS joins and surrounds the two of you. Bennett will then announce the new stipulation for Survivor Series." Vince finished.

The whole locker room was awaiting the actual stipulation but the Chairman never gave way to it and only dismissed the meeting.

Mollie looked at John and he just warmly smiled at her. With a quick shake of her head she looked back towards the Chairman wondering how in the world he could put John through what was about to happen. That was when the Chairman motioned for her to come towards him.

"The principal is calling. You guys better get to work on those matches." She sighed. "I'll see you later." She pressed a quick kiss to John's cheek as it was no secret now that the two were together and disembarked towards Vince.

"Shall we?" Stu asked.

"Let's go." Randy sighed. John nodded and followed.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Mollie asked as she approached Vince.

"I have another brief assignment for you. Since you're doing so well on the Legends Raw, I thought I'd ask you to get the appearances finalized for Fan Appreciation Day this weekend." Vince commented and handed a packet of papers to Mollie.

"Alright." Mollie took the papers and smiled. In her mind she was ready to explode however since she was completely bogged down with trying to stack up the Legends for Raw on November 15th.

"You can set aside the Legends for the next couple of days as you firm up these. I need this all confirmed by Wednesday. Stephanie and I will handle the matches." Vince explained.

"Yes sir, no problem." Mollie nodded.

"Thank you. We'll chat on Thursday in my office. I'll let you know the time." Vince finished and the two went their separate ways.

With showtime just about ticking down to the eleventh hour, Mollie took up refuge in her makeshift office from earlier. She wanted to get a good look at the list of Superstars and Divas appearing at Fan Appreciation Day so see if any of them were set Legends for the Raw episode too.

'Kill two birds with one stone.' Mollie thought. On the sheet in front of her, she saw the potential match listings. _'Kane v. ?', 'HHH v. Del Rio', 'Ziggler v Big Show (w. Hornswoggle)', 'Orton v Barrett', 'Sheamus v Morrison', 'Divas Dance Off', 'Bryan v Miz (w. Riley)', 24-man Over-The-Top-Rope Battle Royal'_.

"So much for that idea." Mollie sighed. There were no legends set to appear. But the next page, a list of individuals appearing, gave her more insight to the matches and one name stuck out the most to her. And she couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "The Diva Dance off includes Melina, Alicia Fox, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Maryse and Natalya but there would be a special run in by Santino and in the end, the winner will face former WWE Diva Brooklyn Greene in a quick match." Mollie read.

"That little witch…" she laughed to herself. She couldn't believe her best friend hadn't let her in on the surprise that she was coming back for one match. Mollie picked up the phone to get more details from Brooklyn herself.

"Hello?" Brooklyn answered, sounding out of breath.

"Did I catch you at a bad time, honey?" Mollie asked.

"Mollie! No…no…just finishing a workout. How are you?" Brooklyn asked.

"Don't play coy with me," Mollie told her. "You know why I'm calling."

"Busted…" Brooklyn laughed. "When did you find out?"

"Just now! That's why I'm calling. So…how far did Vince have to twist your arm?" Mollie asked.

"Oh…not very far. I've got another surprise for you."

"What now?" Mollie asked, jokingly.

"I'm taking the trainer job at FCW. I'm moving to Florida."

"WHAT? That's great!" Mollie exclaimed. Now she'd have many more opportunities to see her best friend which she missed desperately.

"Yeah I know." Brooklyn smiled on her end. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

"I am too. Now whenever I'm at John's I can see you!" Mollie was elated. "But, really, what made you change your mind?"

Brooklyn sighed on her end. "To be honest, I just genuinely miss it all. But I don't want to travel anymore and I don't want to be on the road. I just want to be me and do what I love without the baggage. And after a long talk with myself, I just realized that I needed to do this."

"You have made my day," Mollie beamed. "And it makes this even easier to ask you."

"What?"

"Well, first let me explain what's going on," Mollie began and explained the entire storyline that John would soon have to go through. After the explanation she asked, "Will you be there the night he says goodbye? He wants you there. I want you there."

Brooklyn had to seriously think about that offer. Sure, she was going to be at Fan Appreciation but she was pretty sure she could avoid Stu while there. Raw might be a different story. But, her friendship with John and Mollie was more important than anything she had with Stu.

She sighed and replied, "Of course I'll be there."


	37. Chapter 37 Fan Appreciation Day

October 30, 2010 – Fan Appreciation Day in Hartford, CT.

Mollie arrived at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut running a hundred miles per hour. The Superstars were prepping for a big European tour in two days, so she wanted to make sure she sent them off with a bang. She again wouldn't be going on this trip overseas as she still had work to do on the Old School Raw. John had been flying back and forth between Raw and filming his latest movie in New Mexico, but he and Mollie were making it work. John wasn't being advertised for this show, but he would be a surprise opponent against Kane. She couldn't wait to see him.

She camped out in her makeshift office in the arena, answering phone calls and emails. She kept looking at her watch. She knew John would be there any minute. When the phone rang, her heart jumped at the caller ID.

"Where are you?" she answered.

"Hello to you too baby," he laughed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm just so ready to see you!"

"Me too baby," he said. "Hopefully I'll be there before the show tonight."

"What do you mean…hopefully?" she asked, suspiciously. She hoped this was just one of John's jokes. She had gotten used to his sense of humor.

"I'm just running late. Things have been delayed all day." John sighed.

Mollie's heart sunk a little. She figured he'd be there sooner. "Oh."

"I know baby. I'm sorry." John tried to control his laughter. She was falling for his plan hook, line and sinker. "Baby, I gotta jet. I'll call you as soon as I land."

"Alright." Mollie said. "I love you."

"I love you too." John replied and hung up.

Mollie went back to work and was just now counting down the minutes until he arrived or even for when Brooklyn arrived which should have been any minute. It hadn't been even five minutes after she had hung up with John that there was a knock on her door.

"Coming." Mollie sighed as she removed herself from her paperwork to answer. Opening the door she let out a gasp of surprise. "JOHN!" She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and gave him a toe curling kiss.

John wrapped one arm around her and held her close as he matched her kiss with hot intentions of his own. When they broke apart, he presented to her what he held behind his back in his right hand. A dozen deep red roses. "For you."

"Oh they're beautiful!" Mollie smiled brightly as she smelled the velvety flowers.

"Are you really busy right now?" John asked. He'd been itching to see her since he'd left for the airport this morning even more so than during his time away.

"Uh, a little. But I can probably sneak away for a short bit." Mollie replied.

"Good." John grabbed her by the hand and rushed her out of her makeshift office, roses still in hand out to his awaiting rental car.

"John, wait, where are we…" Mollie tried to catch her breath, but an answer was no use, John was kidnapping her and taking her somewhere.

"The hotel isn't far from here." He said huskily.

"But..oh…Oh!" Mollie caught on to his idea and gave a sultry laugh.

The two of them arrived back at their hotel a few minutes later and rushed inside. No more than two seconds after closing the door of John's room, a trail of clothes led to the bed where the two of them made love once again.

They lay wrapped up together for a few more minutes, enjoying each other's company. Mollie turned over to face John.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

"Not nearly as much as I've missed you," he said with a soft kiss on her forehead. "And I wanted to do this since I won't see you again for a while."

"It's ok. I know what I signed up for, John," she replied.

"Now, I think you and I better get back to the arena before they send out the search party," John reminded her.

"I know…B ought to be in shortly too," Mollie said with a yawn. "I'll be glad to see her."

"Me too," he replied.

The two of them got dressed and headed back to the arena just in time to be met by Randy Orton.

"And just where have you two been?" he asked with a laugh.

When John didn't say anything and Mollie began to blush, Randy shook his head. "Sorry I asked."

"Not like you haven't been there man." John laughed.

"John!" Mollie slapped his arm and shook her head. The big man just laughed at her. Just then, Mollie's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it from cover and smiled as she read her latest text. "I'd hate to cut this short, but I gotta go." She kissed John square on the mouth and smiled at Randy as she walked off.

"What was that all about?" Randy laughed as they watched the red head walk away.

"I do believe her surprise guest has arrived." John smirked. He couldn't help but feel happy at the way things were for just today. All was right in the world. Everyone had their appropriate place and contentment was the word of the day.

"I'm confused." Randy raised a brow.

"I can't tell you." John laughed. "Come on, I'm hungry."

Randy just rolled his eyes and followed John to catering.

Meanwhile, Mollie dogged Superstars and Divas as she made her way towards the front of the arena. If her guest had gone to the back with the rest of the "cast" she would have been made for sure.

A black Lincoln Town Car was parked by the main gate as fans were pulling in for the event. It was a risky move but she wasn't expected either. Mollie approached the vehicle and the driver stepped out, opening the door for his passenger in the back.

A slender, but still fit and brunette Brooklyn Greene stepped out. As big sunglasses covered her face, she adorned dark washed skinny jeans and knee high black suede boots with a fancy top and black leather jacket.

Brooklyn spotted her red haired friend as she grabbed her gear. She closed the door and flashed Mollie an ear-to-ear smile.

"Mollie!" Brooklyn squealed as she hugged her.

"You're still a brunette I see." Mollie examined her friend. "But you look good!"

"Yeah…thanks. It actually feels good to be here. I missed it too much." Brooklyn replied with a giggle.

"Let's get you inside before fans see you," Mollie said as she ushered the surprise inside.

She stashed Brooklyn away in John's dressing room so she could get ready. Mollie waited while Brooklyn put on her gear in the bathroom.

"How have you been honey?" Mollie yelled to her.

Brooklyn answered, "I'm good. How are you and John?"

Mollie smiled, "We're good. He's excited to see you. He's the only one that knows besides me and creative."

"So HE doesn't know?" Brooklyn asked. Mollie knew what she was implying.

"No…he doesn't know. And I plan on keeping you in here until you're supposed to come out. You're more than welcome to leave right after your match so you can avoid him," Mollie explained.

"No…it's okay. I'll be fine," Brooklyn said, biting her bottom lip. She dreaded facing him, but it was bound to happen.

Brooklyn finished putting on her gear and looked at herself in the mirror. She wondered how the fans would react, even though this was just a one time thing. After this show, she'd go back to California and finish packing for the move to Tampa and her new job.

She walked out from the bathroom to get Mollie's reaction.

"Wow, you look amazing." Mollie smiled at her friend who now wore her old ring gear but this time she just seemed to look different in it. Her wrestling boots were still knee high and black, lacing up the front like Randy's boots would. Her wrestling shorts were a pair of glittered/sequined booty shorts and covered her rear just enough to get away with a PG rating. And on top Brooklyn adorned a halter top in the same material as her shorts but this fit to her form and resembled more of a sports bra.

"Too much? I have others." Brooklyn sighed.

"No, this has always been one of my faves. But I think the girls are in street clothes. Did you bring wrestling pants?" Mollie asked.

"Yeah. The black ones with this stuff," she pointed to the material on her shorts, "as a belt trim thingy." Brooklyn laughed.

"Go with those. But I can tell that you haven't missed a day of training." Mollie complimented. Her phone went off with a text from Vince saying that he needed her help with something. "Duty calls."

"Go. I'll be good here. I'm sure John will be around." Brooklyn smirked. She missed her other best friend just as much as his girl.

"Yeah. I'll let him know it's secure and safe to come in." Mollie joked. "I'm so glad you're here." The two friends exchanged a hug and Mollie headed out, leaving B to change into her pants before putting her boots back on.

Once changed, she sorted her things and started heating up curling irons and looking through her make up to get ready.

Meanwhile, Mollie texted John on her way to Vince telling him that Brooklyn was here and in his dressing room.

John had just finished his meal in catering with Randy when his phone buzzed. The text read, _She's here and she's in your dressing room._ John told Randy goodbye and headed to his dressing room. He knocked on the door and heard, "Come in!"

He walked in to see Brooklyn fussing with a hot roller. "Damn it!" she yelled as one burned her finger.

"Whoa…watch out B," John laughed.

"John!" she smiled as she put down the roller and threw her arms around her friend.

"You're brunette…" he said with a raised eye.

"I thought Mollie would have told you. How are you?" she asked with a huge smile.

"Life's good…" he answered.

"I can imagine." She smiled. He looked happy, well rested and just his usual self. "Still filming?"

"Yeah. Gosh, it's so good to see you." John sighed as the two sat down and caught up.

Nearly an hour went by as they talked about everything aside from the one topic that was nagging at John…Stu.

"So, I know we haven't really talked about it, but…" John started.

"I'm okay." She smiled slightly. "It still hurts but I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" John questioned.

"No. But I can't dwell on it. Not like last time." Brooklyn sighed. "The worst thing I could have done I did. I ran away from it. I sheltered myself off from everyone including my job and I let what happened ruin my career. Speaking of which, thank you."

"Me?" John was confused.

"Don't think I didn't know it was you who suggested Vince offer me that job at FCW." Brooklyn smiled. "So thank you for doing it."

"I'm just glad you'll be around." John smirked. "When do you go on?"

"Third on the card. Just after Brian and Mike's match." Brooklyn answered. "I'm not really looking forward to it. I think it's fan voted so it'll be a shoot match the entire time. I'm hoping Maryse will win." She eyes evilly.

"Now B…" John returned her eye.

"I know…if it happens I won't hurt her…too much," Brooklyn assured him.

John shook his head. He wouldn't blame Brooklyn if a few stiff punches were thrown. "Did Mollie tell you about…?"

"Yeah…" Brooklyn told him. "And I'll be there. It won't be easy to watch though."

"Watch…trying coming up with what to say," John laughed. "I'll have to pull off one hell of an Oscar worthy performance."

"If anyone can…you can," Brooklyn winked.

"Thanks." John smiled. "So, I have a couple things I need to do. You good here for a bit?"

"That I am." Brooklyn smiled.

As the next hour ticked away, Brooklyn got ready for her run in and in the main arena, a 24 man battle royal was underway for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Mollie poked her head in a couple of times and John accompanied her once, but it wasn't until just before the "Daniel Bryan versus The Miz" match that a certain Legend Killer got word of his other favorite Diva being in the building.

Brooklyn opened the door and smiled when she saw Randy standing before her. "How'd you find out?"

"I've learned that if you push John enough he squeals like a high school girl." Randy laughed.

Brooklyn just shook her head and smiled allowing Randy to step inside the room.

"So, tell me what's been going on?" Randy asked.

Brooklyn started to catch him up on life and things at home, what she'd been doing and he spoke of Sam and Alanna and how he's been.

Just before the Diva Dance Off started, Mollie came calling for her friend.

"Showtime!" Mollie smiled. "Wait…Randy!"

"John told him…" Brooklyn replied. Randy just smirked and shrugged at his red haired friend.

Mollie shook her heard and made a mental note to smack John later. The two girls made their way to the gorilla to watch the dance off. Brooklyn huffed at Maryse's pitiful attempt at dancing.

"I guess she needs a stripper pole," Brooklyn scoffed.

Melina won the contest with her split leg ring entrance, so she would now face Brooklyn. Melina waited in the ring to see who she'd face, and her mouth dropped at the first chords of Brooklyn's familiar ring music. B glanced at Mollie and nodded as she ran out to the ring.

The crowd went nuts at the sight of the former Diva back in the squared circle. She was definitely a good surprise on fan appreciation day! The ref called for the bell and the match went underway.

Meanwhile, backstage, a certain Englishman was on his way after hearing memorable entrance music. When he had first heard it seconds ago, he thought he was just nuts and hearing things. But when the crowd went wild and it was echoing through the arena corridors he knew she was there. Quickly passing by his Nexus buddies, Stu approached the gorilla looking for answers.

Mollie heard footsteps come up quickly behind her, and she was pretty sure she knew who it was. She turned around to find her assumption correct.

She said to Stu, "I wondered how long it would take."

"What's she doing here?" Stu asked.

"She's the surprise for today's show, besides John of course," Mollie replied.

"Is she…?" he tried to ask.

Mollie finished his question, "…back for good? No."

Stu's hopes crashed down as quickly as they were brought up. "Oh…" he sighed.

Even though Mollie wanted to be mean to Stu, she could see the heartbreak on his face. "Look, I don't want to get into whatever happened between the two of you. She'll talk to you if she wants."

"No, I understand." He spoke, but his eyes weren't fixed on the petite red head in front of him. They were transfixed on the brunette in the ring with Melina.

John quickly joined the pair and remained hidden behind the gorilla curtain. "Come on." He whispered into Mollie's ear, leaving Stu to deal with his own issues.

When the two were far enough from ear shot Mollie questions him. "What are you doing?"

"Just wait.." John knew better than to get involved in Brooklyn's love life. "If she comes through that curtain, he'll be there and I don't want us adding to the awkwardness of the moment."

Mollie saw his point. "She can't avoid him forever. And I thought she was going to kill Maryse when they passed in the ring area."

"She'll get what's coming to her." John smiled. "Brooklyn won't let much go unsaid for long. They were friends at one point in time. But with B, she has to let old wounds heal before opening up others."

"I hope she comes to Raw then. I'd like to see that cat fight." Mollie laughed.

John took Mollie by the hand and they disappeared to catering, leaving Stu in his own thoughts. The match continued with Brooklyn getting the upper hand and eventually the win. The ref raised her hand in victory, and Brooklyn ascended the turnbuckle to drink in the crowd reaction one last time. Melina left the ring and let Brooklyn pose for the crowd a little longer.

When Stu saw Brooklyn heading to the back, he bolted. He wanted to talk to her…hold her…kiss her. But he couldn't face her. Not now. Not yet.


	38. Chapter 38 Truce

Brooklyn came through the curtain and smiled. _God that felt good,_ she thought. She was met with a host of familiar faces greeting her with smiles, hugs and kisses. Randy was the first she saw.

"You haven't lost your touch, B," he smirked.

"Thanks…" she replied. "Where's Mollie and John?"

"Probably off getting a quickie," Randy joked. Brooklyn's jaw hit the floor. Randy laughed, "I'm joking…I'm joking. Vince has her running ragged, so I'm sure she's off saving the world."

"Oh…ha ha," Brooklyn laughed.

Melina then came up and hugged her. "Girl…that was fun."

"You know it!" Brooklyn smiled. "Good job out there."

"Thanks doll. I'll catch up with you later," she said as she darted off with Morrison.

Mollie and John returned from catering and let the crowd die down around Brooklyn. Then they came in.

John picked her and with a huge hug and said, "Good job…"

"Thanks," Brooklyn replied with a huge grin.

"You looked great out there," Mollie added with a hug of her own.

"Thank you…" she said again.

Mollie said, "I say this day calls for a huge celebration. Let's all go out…just like the good old days after the show."

"I'm game," Brooklyn answered. "First…shower." Brooklyn headed off to shower and change while John prepped for his match.

Before she was able to jet to the shower, she was stopped by Mr. McMahon who was on his way to the ring. "Good job Brooklyn," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir," she nodded.

Vince left her and headed to the ring for his promo thanking the fans and promoting the "Stand Up for WWE" campaign. After Vince's promo, Sheamus and John Morrison had their match with Sheamus picking up the win.

Then the Raw GM emailed in and announced that since the Big Show won the Battle Royal that Kane would have a new mystery opponent, which was John.

Mollie and John stayed in the gorilla to watch the show as Brooklyn came back after finishing her shower. Brooklyn asked, "What's next?"

"Randy and Stu," Mollie told her.

"Oh…" Brooklyn replied, her heart beating a million miles a minute. He'd walk right past her at any second.

Stu came up to the gorilla to see the brunette Brooklyn standing with John and Mollie. _Now or never…_ he thought. He walked up to her and gently pulled her over away from Mollie and John.

"Can we talk later?" he said softly.

"Yeah." Brooklyn said quietly.

With a sad smile and quick nod, Stu accepted her answer and walked away. Randy approached and gave a friendly kiss on the forehead. "Hang in there." He softly smiled before stepping through the gorilla after Stu had.

"You good?" John asked. Brooklyn nodded.

From there, the three watched as Randy handed it to Stu, retaining the WWE Championship. Brooklyn congratulated the Legend Killer as he came through the curtain once again as did Mollie and John while Stu headed off to the showers. Intermission was in full swing and it wouldn't be long until John was in the squared circle against Glen.

After intermission, Big Show and Ziggler battled with Dolph getting the win. Then Triple H made his much-publicized one day return to the ring to beat up on Alberto Del Rio. After the hoopla of that match subsided, it was time for Kane and John's match. Glenn came up to the gorilla, nodded to John, Mollie, and Brooklyn and walked out to his organ music and fiery pyro.

Mollie looked over at John who had gotten into the zone. He stood with his eyes closed for a moment and took a deep breath. Mollie whispered, "Good luck," in his ear and kissed him on the cheek. He only nodded as the trumpets of "My Time is Now" signaled his arrival. He walked out to the crowd leaving Mollie and Brooklyn to watch.

"I get goose bumps every time I see him come out," Mollie smiled.

Brooklyn shook her head at her friend. Maybe one day she'd feel those goose bumps again. Then she felt Stu's presence behind her.

"You want to come with me?" Stu asked.

Brooklyn nodded. She looked to Mollie who was watching John and Glen from the curtain. "I'll be back."

Mollie looked at her with a sad smile and nodded before turning her attention back to her boyfriend.

The brunette let Stu lead her away from the staging area and to the nearby Nexus locker room. It had long since been unoccupied by the rest of the group. He pulled a chair away from the corner for Brooklyn and one for himself. The two sat across from one another.

"You wanted to talk." Brooklyn said. Her voice was just as soft as Stu's but held much more sadness to her tone.

"Yeah." Stu nodded. "I miss you."

"Please don't." She whispered. This was actually harder than she imagined it would be. "Don't do that."

"I can't help it." He said. "I've been a complete fool. And I've spent months trying to figure out why I was so foolish."

Brooklyn took a deep breath. "We talked about this already. You don't know and I accepted that. We ended things."

"But I didn't want to. I should have done what I could to earn your trust, to make things work out." He argued. "I know why now."

"Okay. And you want to tell me because…."

"Because I still love you, more than I could ever imagine." Stu sighed.

"I'm listening…" Brooklyn sniffled. She still loved him but she couldn't trust him. At least now he had the answer she'd been looking for, for months.

"I never thought that I could love someone, let alone so fast. When everything started falling into place with us after me practically chasing you with continual flirting for months, I didn't really know what I felt. I knew it was love, but I almost wanted to test myself and really wonder if that's what it feels like. In Japan, I missed you so much. It was near obsession like. And then a few drinks later, I made a mistake and just let it happen. I let her take control, I let Maryse get too close and mix that with poor decisions and more alcohol and we ended up in bed together." Stu began story telling. He noticed Brooklyn cringe when he mentioned being in bed with Maryse. He reached for her hand and much to his surprise she let him take it in his. "The moment I woke up, I was just filled with regret. I saw her there and I felt ill. And it wasn't because I had been terribly drunk. I was a real wanker. I felt so guilty and so terrible. I immediately realized that I lost one of the most important things that have happened to me since coming to the states."

"So you had to test your feelings for me? That's why you slept with Maryse?" Brooklyn was even more confused.

"No, yes. Damn it." Stu sighed and dropped Brooklyn's hand as he stood and walked away from her. He ran his hands through his curly hair, for he hadn't done anything with it since his shower. "I was scared of what I was feeling and how fast I started feeling this. I was a fool. I love you more than anything in this world and I realize that I fucked up. I'm just asking for forgiveness and a second chance. Hell, I'll take friends at this point. Especially now that I know you'll be around when I'm home."

"How'd you…"

"You just have to ask the right people, Brooklyn." Stu stated.

Brooklyn sat quietly, with her eyes fixed to the floor. Stu stood and watched her. He could see her lip quivering and her eyes blinking hard. She was trying to be strong, but he knew she still cared for him; otherwise she wouldn't be this way. Finally, she looked up at him. Her eyes were red and filled with unshed tears.

"You're going to have to give me some time." She said. "I just can't right now."

Stu stepped forward and knelt down to her level. "But are you willing to try?"

Brooklyn blinked and let a tear fall down each side of her cheek. "Friends. I can try friends. That's all I can do right now." She whispered.

Stu took Brooklyn by the hand and raised her chin with his thumb. It may have been a little too fast for such a close amount of contact, but Brooklyn allowed herself to be touched as she sobbed. Stu felt his heart break more at what he'd done to her and allowed himself to tear up as well.

After a good cry between the two, Brooklyn left Stu in the Nexus locker room to find Mollie who was now waiting in John's locker room as he showered.

Mollie saw Brooklyn's red, swollen eyes and asked, "Honey, what's wrong?"

"I think we're going to try to be friends," Brooklyn told her, sniffling. "We had a good talk."

Mollie didn't say anything but she wrapped her best friend in a comforting hug and rubbed her back. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" Brooklyn whispered. John exited the shower and stopped.

He said, "Whoa, I'm sorry."

Brooklyn wiped her eyes and replied, "No, its ok. I promise. I'm sorry I missed your match."

"It's ok," John replied. Changing the subject, he said, "How about we go celebrate as my beautiful girlfriend suggested earlier?"

"I think that's an amazingly splendid idea!" Brooklyn smiled.

With that said, Brooklyn, Mollie and John headed out of the arena.

Mollie called ahead and got a private room at the Italian restaurant inside the hotel. She also called several other superstars and divas including Ted and Randy and gave them the details. They were waiting on them when they arrived.

"SURPRISE!" the room yelled as Brooklyn walked in.

"Aww…thank you!" she smiled as she went around hugging everyone.

After the hellos were exchanged, everyone sat down and began ordering food and drinks.

"So, how long are you staying?" Randy asked.

"I'll leave Tuesday morning after Raw. Then it's back home to pack and move. Stamford has set me up with an apartment near the training center so I'll be unpacking for a couple of weeks then I promised Mollie I'd be around for Survivor Series and the following Raw. Then I'll start work over at FCW." Brooklyn replied.

"Well, at least we'll get to see you some," Mollie noted.

"Yeah, I couldn't stay away from you guys that long," Brooklyn admitted.

The rest of the night was spent catching up, drinking and laughing. Mollie and John were so glad to see a familiar spark come back to their friend, and they were also thankful for a memorable night together before he'd leave for Europe.

It was a quick trip to Montreal for a house show on Halloween and while some of the roster had a little trick or treat costume party in the hotel bar, Mollie, Brooklyn and John traveled back to New York for the next night's Raw.

Brooklyn shadowed Mollie throughout the day as she rallied up her usual tasks before showtime. It wasn't until the creative meeting that the two women met up with John, Randy and Stu.

"Hey honey…" Mollie greeted John with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hello," Stu greeted Brooklyn in his thick accent.

"Hi…" Brooklyn nodded.

The meeting began and ran through what would happen that night during the show. The main event would be a tag match between Ron Killings, aka R-Truth, and Randy verses Stu and David Otunga with John as the special guest referee.

When the meeting was over, John's phone rang. It was his brother Matt. He walked outside the meeting room to take the call.

"Matt?" John answered.

"Yeah," Matt replied. "Shelby's here!"

John had just missed the birth of his niece Shelby, the first child of his brother Matt and his wife Coverly. John couldn't help but let his heart fall to the floor.

"That's great man," John answered. "How is she? Cov?"

"They're great. She's beautiful. I'll send you a picture as soon as we get to go back in the nursery," Matt told him.

"I'm so happy for you, and I promise I'm coming to see her," John assured him.

"I know," Matt replied. "Hey, I've gotta go. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye…" John said as Matt hung up the phone. With the life of a WWE Superstar, you missed a lot of things with family. But he thought for sure Shelby wouldn't be born until the Thanksgiving holiday. He walked back into the room to tell the good news.

Mollie saw the change in his mood right away. He seemed upset yet happy all at once. "Baby..."

John smiled. "I'm an uncle." He said. "and I missed it. Again."

"Oh babe." Mollie knew how close Matt and John were and how much the birth meant to John. She hugged him close and whispered in his ear. "Soon enough."

He hugged her back and accepted congratulatory hugs from everyone. "Her name is Shelby. And Cov is doing great. I'm waiting on a picture once everyone is settled."

While everyone congratulated John on the newest addition to the Cena family, Brooklyn stepped away. She walked into the Divas dressing room just to clear her mind. She knew John's pain of missing family events. In her time in the business she had missed many births, deaths, weddings, and other events. She knew that feeling all too well. As she sat down on the couch, the wrong person walked through the door.

"Brooklyn," Maryse said as she eyed the former Diva. "J'ai pas pense que nous vous voir vous encore une fois." (I didn't think we'd see you again).

"Maryse, if you're going to insult me at least do it in English," Brooklyn scoffed.

"Insult?" Maryse asked in her still broken English. "I simply asked how you are doing."

"Yeah right," Brooklyn replied.

Maryse went about her business like Brooklyn wasn't even in the room. When she turned to leave, Brooklyn scoffed.

"Really?" Brooklyn snapped. "You're just going to walk out and say nothing at all?"

"What?" Maryse asked, playing innocent. "I have to go. Mike is waiting."

"Right, so after you sleep with my boyfriend you two got back together." Brooklyn shook her head in disgust. "We were pretty good friends Maryse. I can't believe you'd do that to me. Of course, I should have expected it. It's your M.O."

"Excusez-moi?" The French Canadian asked.

"You heard me. You and Mike fight and break up then once you've both had your chance to screw someone else, you're all fine and dandy and back together." Brooklyn was fuming mad. Maryse was acting she'd done nothing wrong and there wasn't a problem that she slept with Stu.

"Pardon?"

"Seriously, don't act stupid Frenchie. The next time you want to sleep with someone, make sure they aren't in love with someone else and in a serious relationship."

"He came to me. He danced with me. I said I wanted to go back to his room and he said okay. What more do you want? Maybe you should have been better in bed." Maryse insulted her former friend.

Brooklyn had heard enough. "Listen here you little French bitch," she said as she now stood in front of Maryse who was cut off from everything, her back to the wall, "you're lucky I'm not here anymore. Because if I were I'd have kicked your ass so bad you'd be pissing blood for months."

"Je t'emmerde salope (Fuck you bitch)." Maryse yelled back.

"Speak ENGLISH!" Brooklyn roared. She'd never been like this. This anger was coming from somewhere deep within her. It was highly uncharacteristic for her to be so confrontational let alone to be threatening people.

"Fuck you bitch." Maryse repeated herself.

Before Brooklyn could stop herself, she slapped the blonde across the face. "Thank you for ruining my life."

And that was it; she left Maryse in the Divas locker room rubbing the side of her face while she left to be alone. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd taken herself over the edge and she needed to calm down and hope that the former Divas Champion wouldn't rat her out to Vince. However, she was pretty sure she wouldn't.

Brooklyn was just near the exit doors leading to the parking lot when she heard Stu calling after her. "Not now." She whispered to herself.

"Where are you going?" he asked as he caught up with her.

"Just to go catch up with Mollie and John. John just found up he's an uncle again," Brooklyn composed herself.

"Really? That's great," he smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

"No…" she replied. The two of them walked together to find John and Mollie admiring the picture of John's new niece.

"She's big," John exclaimed. "She's a Cena alright."

"Look at that full head of hair!" Mollie cooed. "Beautiful."

"I wanna see," Brooklyn said as she leaned over John. "Look at her." Stu looked over John's shoulder as well at the newborn's picture.

"Yeah…it's a good thing she looks just like my sister-in-law," John laughed.

Mollie smiled as John stared at his beautiful niece. The thought crossed her mind of John holding a newborn of his own. It was a nice thought but way too soon in their relationship to think that way. Maybe one day.


	39. Chapter 39 Working Vacation

Once the Raw taping was over, Raw crew was gearing up for their latest trek overseas. Brooklyn ventured back to California to get ready for her big move while Mollie was on the red to Stamford so she could put the finishing touches on her Old School Raw.

After a quick cat nap and a hot shower, Mollie headed to the office and was met the one and only Billion Dollar Princess Stephanie McMahon. Mollie got a lump in her throat.

"Hi Stephanie," Mollie greeted her boss.

"Mollie, may I talk to you for a moment?" Stephanie asked.

"Sure," Mollie answered, dreading the conversation. The two ladies stepped inside Mollie's office.

"While I understand this is last minute, we need for you to go on the European tour. The overseas coordinator has had a death in her family and will not be able to make the trip. Dad and I talked and we think you're the best to handle the work load."

While the thought of picking up and leaving at the last minute caught her off guard, she then remembered she'd get to see John. Then she remembered her pet project.

"What about Old School Raw?" Mollie asked.

"I'll work on it while you're gone. I know you've put a lot of work into it, but I'll tie up your loose ends," Stephanie instructed.

"Wow, okay." Mollie nodded. "Thank you." She hesitated.

"Do you have a working folder you can give me?" Stephanie asked.

Mollie nodded and pulled the folder from her work satchel. "It should all be there."

"Thank you. Now, I have a car to take you back to your place to gather your luggage. Your flight leaves in a couple of hours. If all goes accordingly, you'll be just a few hours behind the rest of the roster and team. A driver will pick you up at the airport and get you on your way." Stephanie instructed.

"Okay." Mollie once again nodded in acceptance and the two women parted ways. Mollie thought about telling John the good news. Then realized she could completely surprise him and catch him off guard, especially since she could show up at his room while he'd be tooling around France promoting Legendary. The first house show wasn't scheduled until the 4th, which was only two days away.

Mollie grabbed her things and went downstairs. Just as Stephanie said, a car was waiting for her to take her to her apartment. She quickly made her way home and flew around like a madwoman packing. She had no idea what the weather was like there so she packed a little bit of everything since they'd be there a week. She grabbed the last of her bags and got them down to the lobby. The driver loaded them in the car and whisked her away to the airport. A couple of hours later, Mollie was on a plane for her first overseas flight. Soon she'd be reunited with her love as well as experiencing her job on a whole new lever – overseas live events.

Overseas live events had a different feel than ones that were stateside. Most of the time, WWE traveled to the same towns every year at least once, sometimes twice. However, fans overseas didn't have the chance to see their favorite Superstars and Divas on a regular basis. People camped out for days for tickets. Arenas sold out months in advance. The crowds were electric. The Superstars and Divas tended to feed off the extra energy and put on some of their best performances. Mollie was looking forward to experiencing the change in culture.

One thing that she was thrilled she didn't have to worry about was driving. While overseas, the rosters traveled in buses and the usual trucks, which were on hand at the overseas main offices, toted around the gear, lighting and staging equipment along with the gear.

Just before take off, Mollie knew she had to let her parents know where she was headed, just in case anything happened. And she wanted to let B know just in case she needed anything. One mass text later, she was told to turn her phone off and prepare for take off.

Fourteen and a half hours later, Mollie Garrison arrived in Montpellier, France.

She got off the plane and immediately wanted to crash. The jet lag was hitting her hard, so she met the driver at the airport and loaded her bags. The driver eyed her as she got in the back.

He asked, "Mollie…Mollie…why do you look so familiar to me?"

Mollie replied, "I'm not sure…"

"I know now," he realized. "I remember my aunt talking about you. Her name is Barbara. She's the head of HR."

"Casey?" Mollie asked, realizing that it was Barbara's nephew whom she spoke of often at the office. "I didn't realize you were working for the company now."

"Yeah," he replied. He didn't look very old at all…maybe 20. My aunt got me the job. I dropped out of college and took off. She had been taking care of me for years since my mother died. She's not really my aunt but I call her that. I was such a wild child. I wanted to come to Europe and "find myself," so she got me a job at the offices here in France.

Mollie smiled at the description of her friend. Barbara had been like a second mother to her ever since coming to work for the company, and now Mollie could see that she wasn't the only one who experienced her kindness.

"So where to Miss Garrison?" Casey asked.

"Please, it's Mollie." The red head smiled. "And just to the hotel would be great, thank you."

Small chatter exchanged between the two as Casey headed towards the hotel where the rest of the WWE was staying. Mollie was thankful for the conversation because if there hadn't been any, she'd be passed out cold and there was still work to do when she got settled, no matter how tired she was.

Meanwhile, as a certain red head was on her way to the hotel, a blue eyed former champ was settling in.

John tried a couple times to get a hold of Mollie, but she wasn't answering. He tried her cell and it went straight to voice mail. He tried texting her and received no response. Then he tried calling her direct line at the office, again no answer. When he finally resorted to email, he received her out of office reply that was set from before Bragging Rights. He was beginning to worry, yet knew that she was most likely just bogged down with work and with her Raw project coming up, there was no doubt plenty of lose ends to keep her moving.

Finally, he called one final time before settling in for the night completely. He was just as tired. The moment they all stepped off of the plane, the rest of the WWE headed for check in while John was whisked away to a signing for 'Legendary' out in a few theaters. The next day, he'd attend a special screening for the film with some lucky fans. As the phone rang, he waited for her to answer.

Mollie felt her phone vibrate in her purse as she stepped into the elevator. Digging it out, she smiled at the caller ID. 'John.' She thought.

She answered, "Hey baby!"

"Hey…" he smiled, relieved that she finally answered. "I was getting worried about you."

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, scrambling for something to say. "I had a pretty lengthy meeting and I just now got out."

"Oh," John replied, believing her story. "I don't mean to seem…"

"I know, John," she told him, remembering the last time he was overseas.

"And I was missing you, too," he said with a smile. "Do you think you've got time for me on Skype later?"

"Baby I always have time for you." She smiled through the phone. Her butterflies built with each step as she headed towards her room.

"That's music to my ears." John laughed.

"Aren't you tired though? I mean you got just got off of a plane and turned around to work again." Mollie said.

"Yeah, I'm tired, but the point is that I miss you." John sighed.

"I miss you too." Mollie smirked. "Why don't you give me a bit to get home and settled and then I'll text you to get on the computer."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be waiting." John said.

"I'm sure you will." She laughed. "Bye baby."

"Bye." John said and hung up.

Mollie tossed her phone into her purse just as the elevator doors opened. Grabbing the handle to her luggage, she headed down the long corridor. It took some serious convincing downstairs, but Mollie managed to get the concierge to give her the number to John's room. And with convincing came bribery as well. John just would need to sign something for her little boy later. Eventually she found the room that match the number on her little note.

She smiled as she stared at the door. She was about to pull off the biggest surprise ever. 'Here goes nothing.' She thought and reached her hand out to knock. She was thankful there wasn't a peephole in the door.

John was watching television absent mindedly as he waited to hear from Mollie. When he heard the knock on his door, he figured it was either Randy or Stu dropping in. He surely didn't expect to find a little red head on the other side.

Opening the door, John was met with his favorite person in the world. The moment his mouth dropped open, she spoke.

"I'm sorry; I think it seems they've double booked my room." She grinned as she laid her accent on thick.

John picked her up into his massive arms and swung her around his room. Mollie laughed but then lost her breath.

"John…I…can't…breathe!" she gasped.

"I'm sorry," he apologized as he sat her down. "What are you doing here?"

After she regained her breath, she smiled. "Surprise! I'm working this trip."

John tried to say, "But…" until Mollie explained, "The overseas coordinator had a death in the family and Stephanie sent me."

"Well God Bless Stephanie McMahon," John exclaimed as he captured her lips into a soft and tender kiss. Mollie was the first to break the kiss away with a huge yawn. John realized how tired she must have been after that flight. "Let's get some sleep. You're not used to the overseas travel."

She yawned again and nodded. "I'm so tired."

"Come on…doctor's orders," John smiled as he guided her to the bed.

"Since when is the Doctor of Thuganomics a medical doctor?" Mollie asked.

"You really are tired…" he laughed and shook his head. Pretty soon both were snug in each other's arms and asleep.

The next morning, just before John's alarm went off, he had woken up. He was still so tired, but knew by mid day he'll have adjusted to the rigorous schedule ahead. With a yawn, he looked down at the sleeping beauty wrapped in his embrace.

'Mollie.' John thought to himself with a grin. Nothing mattered to him in the world unless she was there with him. His eyes traced the soft lines of her face, down her chest to her torso and then over covered legs. There were so many times that he thought his huge, muscular body would break her porcelain delicate frame. But it was never the case. They were a perfect pair, molded to fit within one another's embrace.

John knew that things weren't always going to be so happy and honeymoon like in their relationship, but they'd already endured so much alone and together that their journey no matter how smooth or rocky would last. This next couple of months was going to be trying on the both of them. The emotional place that John would need to tap into comes from deep within and holds bottled up feelings and emotions that he's never really confronted, especially not with Mollie. But with the love he had for her, he knew she would be his rock. That she would be understanding and supportive no matter how kayfabe or real it all would be.

He felt Mollie shift in his arms and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her cheek. "Time to get up." He whispered.

"Five more minutes." She mumbled.

"Mollie..." John teased.

"Fine." She grunted and slowly opened her eyes. "Morning."

"Good morning." He smiled.

"What's your work schedule for today?" Mollie asked as she sat up in bed and stretched.

"You mean you don't have it memorized? I'm shocked," John teased.

"Hey…even though it's a working vacation remember that I was thrown into this last minute," Mollie replied with a pout. John took notice.

"Don't pout. Even though you look cute when you do," he laughed. "I've got a signing in the afternoon and a screening of Legendary before the show tonight at the arena."

"Need a date?" Mollie asked as she got up from the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

"I might. You available?" he asked as he followed her inside.

"I might be…" she teased back. "But first…I think we need to test out this shower."

"You read my mind…" John purred as he joined her inside for an extra long, hot and steamy shower.

A half hour later, Mollie and John emerged. The steam in the bathroom was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Both were breathless from their shower love making session. As Mollie finished getting ready in the bathroom, John stepped outside to quickly fire up his laptop. There had to be something quick, yet romantic he and Mollie could do for a few hours before he would be busy the rest of the day.

It didn't take long for him to find something. And he smiled in thought, knowing she'd love it. Getting up from the chair he sat in, he headed towards the bathroom doorway and leaned against it. "So, do you want to have some breakfast and see a little bit of France?" He asked.

Mollie cocked her head at him and smirked. "Two dates in one day? I do believe you've stepped up your game."

"Is that a yes?" He raised a brow.

"Oui." Mollie said yes in French.

"Let's go eat at breakfast first. I'm starving," John replied as he got up, kissed Mollie quickly on the top of the head, and finished getting ready in the bathroom. This gave Mollie a chance to text everyone and let them know she was fine.

When John finished getting ready, the two of them called a WWE driver and had him take them to a charming restaurant called The Bleu. This establishment specialized in anything imaginable for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Some of the WWE people had been here a few years before on a France trip, so John thought it would be the perfect place.

They arrived and were ushered in. Celebrity did have its perks. John and Mollie were ushered into a private second floor room with a beautiful view of the city. John and Mollie ordered a bevy of American cuisine, but the staff didn't mind. They enjoyed when the WWE people came into the country. They were very generous tippers.

"So, have you thought anymore about that farewell speech you're going to have to do in a couple weeks?" Mollie asked as she nibbled on her baguette.

"No. I'm going to wing it. I think. I just want to see how these next couple of weeks go." John answered honestly.

Mollie nodded in acceptance. "Are you looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah, but I'm more looking forward to taking you with me and seeing my mom." John smiled. He and his mother, Carol, hadn't always seen eye to eye on his career choice but the older he got the more he realized that he'd always need his mother around. When the time came for his divorce, she supported him and listened in her own way to his problems. However, nothing meant more to him that the support his father had given him through the years.

"Is it safe to say that I'm pretty anxious about this?" Mollie sighed.

"You have nothing to worry about. Don't make this a big deal. You met Dad and that was just fine." John laughed.

"Yes, but this is the rest of your brothers their families and your mom." Mollie tired reasoning.

John just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're overreacting."

"Whatever." Mollie smirked. "Anyway, speaking of the holidays, what should we do for Christmas?"

"I don't know." John answered.

"I mean, this is my first Christmas away from home and I don't know how..."

"Then we'll go to Mississippi." John interrupted her.

"But..."

"No buts, we'll be with my family for Thanksgiving and since we'll have New Year's off, why don't you and I just go somewhere? Maybe even lock ourselves in my house all weekend." John smirked playfully.

"So just like that, we're going to my parents for Christmas?" Mollie questioned.

"Yep." John smiled.

"Okay." Mollie nodded. She was elated that figuring out the holidays was that simple.

The continued on in comfortable silence until Mollie asked randomly, "Do you think Brooklyn and Stu will work things out?"

"Time will tell. But she has to really trust him again and it's not going to happen over night. Look how long it took her the first time. And the fact that he was the one that screwed up and somehow she's trying to be friends, it'll take longer than he thinks."

"I still don't care for him at the moment." Mollie grumbled.

"Easy there Tiger, we don't need to be poking where we don't belong." John laughed. "Even though I don't condone what he did, I admire the fact that he's been man enough to confront the situation and attempt to work on whatever it is they have."

"We'll leave it at that then." Mollie smiled.

Soon enough, John paid the check and left the driver waiting for them at the restaurant while John surprised Mollie with a horse and carriage ride around Promenades en Calèche.

"Are you serious right now?" Mollie grinned. It was true moments of happiness that made John's heart flutter and his chest fill with pride, knowing he was the one making her smile.

"Yes." John laughed, "Now, get in."

Their driver introduced himself and his horse of the same name, Pierre and once acquainted, off they went. The carriage negotiated the streets from the Esplanade up to the Promenade du Peyrou. Pierre was an excellent source of information about the history and current life of the city.

Mollie snuggled in with John under the provided blanket as they tooled about, enjoying the scenery.

"This is so nice," Mollie sighed, relaxed in the arms of her love.

"Yes it is," John agreed. He planted a kiss on top of her head. The two of them took in the beautiful sites for the fifteen minute ride. Pierre continued his normal script and told Mollie and John many bits of information about the city while Mollie snapped pictures. Before too long, they arrived back at the restaurant where their driver waited to take them back to the hotel. John's work day was about to kick in high gear.

John and Mollie arrived back at the hotel. John quickly changed in WWE gear for his signing while Mollie changed into slacks, high heels, and a deep purple dress shirt. She got her phone and pulled up John's work schedule, which she did actually have saved. John emerged ready to go and the two of them were off.

After John's signing, they arrived back at the hotel to change for the screening of Legendary. He dressed in a grey suit and pink tie – his Fiesta Bowl coin toss suit. Mollie looked through her clothes to find something suitable for this occasion. She settled on her ¾ length sleeve black dress with a rather plunging neckline and black pumps. She fussed with her hair until she finally got it straight with an iron. She finished off the outfit with simple earrings and a silver locket.

Mollie stepped out of the bathroom and waited for John's reaction. She cleared her throat to steer John's attention away from his cell phone.

"I got to go." He said to whoever it was and dropped the phone into his pocket. "Wow." Mollie blushed as he crossed the room towards her. "You look beautiful. We could be late you know, get to our seats just as the opening credits start." He playfully suggested.

"Stop it." Mollie giggled. "But thank you. You look very nice."

"Shall we?" he asked as he extended his arm for her. Mollie nodded and grabbed her purse. Then the two of them were off to the small theatre where the screening was being held.

When they arrived, Mike Pavone, the head of WWE Studios was there to meet them. Mike would be the emcee for the screening and introduce John.

"Mike," John shook his hand.

"John…Mollie…nice to see you guys," Mike greeted them. "Mollie, you look stunning."

"Hey now…" John jokingly warned him.

"Thank you, Mike," Mollie nodded.

"Are you ready?" Mike asked.

"Let's do this," John told him as they walked into the back of the theater. Mollie went on and got her seat in the front reserved row, waiting for the show to begin.

Mike appeared and gave a quick run down about the film before he introduced John. The crowd popped for him as he gave his dimpled smile.

"I just wanted to quickly say thank you for coming out tonight and congratulations on winning. When WWE asked me to do this film, I was hesitant and after reading the script, I was hooked and I fell in love with the story. So I hope you guys do too. Let's roll the tape!"

John descended the stage and took his seat next to Mollie. She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled. She was so proud of John, and she looked forward to many more nights like this with him.

She leaned over and whispered, "I'm so proud of you. I love you so much."

John whispered back, "Thank you for being here. I love you, too."


	40. Chapter 40 Going Old School

A/N: Well, it's slowly winding down. Every time I think we're close to ending it we keep finding little aspects of the story. We really don't want to let John & Mollie go, but never fear. There WILL be a sequel, but there isn't a timetable on that. Anyway – thank you again for your continued support and remember we own nothing but the OC's. ~ The Team.

Monday, November 15th – Old School Raw in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Mollie Garrison sat at her laptop feverishly working while John Cena still lay in their bed asleep. It was 4 am, and Mollie had already been up for an hour. This was a very important day to her – the day her "Old School Raw" would be broadcast to the world. This was her pet project, and she wanted to make sure everything went off without a hitch.

John rolled over to find her side of the bed empty, so he reached over to turn the nightstand lamp on to find his love hunched over her computer. Her glasses were on, so he knew she was deeply entrenched in something.

"Mollie," he said softly, "come back to bed."

"I can't baby…I've gotta work on this," she responded, not even turning to him.

"Mollie, it will be there in a couple of hours. You'll crash tonight if you don't rest now," he reminded her. When she didn't respond, he got up from bed and guided her back to bed.

"But…" she protested.

He responded by taking her glasses off and putting them on the nightstand. She gave in and snuggled beside him.

She whispered, "I'm just worried about tonight."

"Tonight will be fine," he assured her. "Now…go to sleep."

Mollie closed her eyes, but her mind continued to race for a few more minutes until sleep overcame her. She finally gave in and slept for about an hour.

As she showered and dressed, leaving John in bed again, Mollie's mind was racing a million miles a minute. She thought about the last couple of weeks and how the rest of the Europe trip seemed to fly by in a flash.

From France they headed to Wales for a house show then from Wales to England where the WWE hosted house shows in Birmingham and London with a Monday Night Raw in Manchester set between the two. Nevertheless, John and Mollie enjoyed what little down time was had by quickly seeing sights and Mollie was sure she'd have a lifetime of scrapbooking to do now if the personal down time ever came back at home.

Finally, the WWE touched home soil a few days ago, just in time for Mollie to meet with Stephanie to completely close up the final needs for the show tonight. John hadn't even gone home, since coming back from Europe, he stayed with Mollie at her place and just relaxed for what time he had while conducting phone interviews from Mollie's couch until they headed to Hershey.

Mollie enjoyed Europe and she enjoyed how busy she'd been over there with work just as much as she enjoyed the pressure here at home. She really found her place here at the WWE and thanked her lucky stars for those who'd given her true love and friendships along the way.

While Mollie got ready, John just sat in bed, listening to her whisper to herself about various things she had to do and watched her zip in and out of the bathroom from her luggage and back.

"Baby, you need to stop." John finally said getting out of bed and standing in front of her. "You're wearing a hole into the floor."

Mollie looked up into John's blue eyes and let herself relax. "I'm already exhausted and I haven't even been to the arena yet. I'm so nervous."

"Don't be. It's all going to work out. Everything will be perfect. We'll all have our spots and lines and you'll get the highest of praise from the boss." John attempted to schmooze.

"Schmoozing me right now is not going to work, John." Mollie smirked.

"At least I got you to smile and not think about it for two seconds." He laughed. Pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, he headed for the bathroom.

Mollie stared blankly for a moment and sighed. He was right. She needed to calm down otherwise she'd end up having a nervous breakdown before six. And there was too much to do today for that. That was when an idea struck her and a devilish grin slipped across her lips.

Making her way into the bathroom she quietly stripped down and stepped back into the shower with John, catching him off guard.

"A little out of character aren't we Miss Garrison?" John said huskily.

"I just need you to help me relax." Mollie looked at him with lust filled eyes.

"Then by all means, let me help you." John closed the gap between the two and captured Mollie's lips with a deep, passionate kiss.

By the time the bathroom had steamed up enough to nearly set off the smoke alarms, Mollie and John were out and getting ready to leave. John had a list of meetings, appearances and a COC event to attend for Make A Wish while Mollie had a slew of things to do herself.

Briefcase, lap top, purse and phone in hand, Mollie left John in the hotel lobby with a quick kiss while a driver escorted her to the arena.

While John met with Vince about what would happen in the next couple of weeks, Mollie was on the phone checking in with each Legend to make sure they had arrived and were well taken care of. She went down her list and was able to talk to each and every participant except for one – "Cowboy" Bob Orton. Mollie began to feverishly worry since Randy's father would be opening up the show that evening.

She left her makeshift office and began searching feverishly for The Viper himself. She luckily found both father and son sitting on the arena watching the ring and stage being assembled. Randy saw his petite redheaded friend and motioned for her to join them. Mollie climbed the steps and stopped on their row.

"Well if it isn't my favorite red head." randy smiled warmly as Mollie approached.

"Hi randy." Mollie smiled and then turned to his father with an outstretched hand. "Mr. Orton, I'm Mollie Garrison, we've spoken on the phone. Thank you for coming."

"Why Mollie, it's a pleasure, darlin'." Bob Orton stood and shook her hand. "Thank you for calling me. It's been a while."

Mollie smiled. "I do believe the pleasure is mine. I've heard a lot about you."

"It's not true." Bob chuckled heartily. "And I've heard about you as well."

Mollie blushed. How sweet of Randy to tell his father about her. "I promise you the same, it's not true." Mollie joked back.

The three of them shared a laugh before Mollie continued. "I'm sorry to just introduce myself and run, but I need to go. And before I do, here are your things for tonight. If you need anything else at all, please let me know and don't hesitate to ask."

"I will, thank you." Bob smiled.

"I'll see you at the production meeting then." Mollie smiled and excused herself to continue on her way.

"So that's John's new girl, huh?" Bob looked to Randy once Mollie was out of ear shot.

Randy nodded. "Yeah. She's his saving grace." He smiled. "I think he'd be very lost without her."

"Yeah, you'd know a thing or two about that wouldn't you son?" Bob commented.

Again, Randy nodded. "I do."

John finished his last phone interview at the arena and headed to his meeting with Vince. He grabbed his phone and typed out a quick text to Molly.

_Just breathe. I love you._

He closed his phone and rounded the corner. He knew if he didn't send Molly frequent messages such as that during the day that she would make herself sick.

Vince had told John to meet him in catering, and John spotted the silver haired CEO chatting with some of the backstage workers. He saw his franchise superstar and nodded.

"John…" he greeted him.

"Vince," John replied, shaking his hand.

"Have you given any more thought as to what you're going to say for your farewell?" Vince asked.

John answered, "I haven't written anything down. I may wing it."

Vince laughed, "Well, I do trust you. I know that you'll come up with something."

John appreciated the trust that Vince laid in him. God knows that John worked his ass off for this company, and it was nice to be appreciated for that. The two of them discussed ideas for the weeks preceding his firing and subsequent rehiring by Nexus' Wade Barrett.

After his meeting with Vince, John attempted to find Mollie and when he found her, it was show time and she was working with a headset and clipboard with no time to be with him. He understood that and made himself the promise to find her the moment the credits rolled.

For Mollie, she stood by the gorilla all night calling the shots. She felt bad for not having a moment for her boyfriend, but knew he'd understand since tonight was her brainchild and John knew all about hard work and making efforts.

The show rolled on without a hitch. Bob opened as planned and Stu confronted him pulling out all the stops as 'Wade Barrett'. Mike joined in with Alex and just after the first commercial break, the cross brand match of Ziggler v Henry commenced.

Promos were held with The Hart Dynasty "dealing" with their current issues and Tony Atlas bored Yoshi with his one sided conversation. Soon Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel v The Hart Dynasty started and Mollie rushed around to gather Gene Okerlund for his interview with Randy while Bob stood by.

Much to John's entertainment, Mollie managed to secure a match with The Brooklyn Brawler and Ezekiel Jackson with the Fink on the mic and Harvey Whippleman by his side. The Nexus were set into motion with a promo of their own where John protest some of the members' involvement as security for the match against Miz later, in case Randy wanted to add his involvement.

Finally, to close the first hour, John and The Miz went at it with Alex Riley in Mike's corner where eventually John won but Randy became involved and while the two traded hands, a load of refs were sent in to break them up. Eventually the two would have to square off on Piper's Pit.

Hall of Famer's Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik opened the 2nd hour courtesy of The Fink again in order to set up the match for the number one contenders match for the tag team titles with The Usos and Santino and Kozlov. After the Italian and Russian pulled one over on the Usos, Sheamus made a run in taking out all but Santino while Morrison made a run in for aide.

So far, Mollie had put on a decent show and the crowd was enjoying themselves with the old school logos, vibes, and set up. John stood by as she was getting ready for the next set up.

"You're doing great." He told her.

Mollie could only smile as she called for the next match and set of superstars to go on after Kofi and Otunga exchanged blows. Once that match would end, two promos would air with Arn Anderson and Gerald Brisco congratulating Morrison for his "issues" with bully Sheamus. Sheamus then makes another run in and lays Morrison out with a kick to the face in which he then announced that he accepted his match between the two for Survior Series. Then the second promo was with Hacksaw, Aksana, Dusty Rhodes, Goldust, Kelly Kelly, Ted DiBiase Sr., Teddy and Cody who joined in with IRS.

The third hour held promise with R-Truth and Eve v Wade Barrett while both John and Randy watched from their respective locker rooms. Then Del Rio had his announcer come out and he was interrupted by Tito Santana who then actually introduced Alberto Del Rio for his match against Sergeant Slaughter.

For the next segment Mollie hoped B was watching in Tampa. She knew this wouldn't have been the same without her so she had to make the Diva's piece special. And special it was with Mae Young giving it to Flawless LayCool with the rest of the face Divas backing her up.

From there the show rolled into bringing the famed Jim Ross back and rolling into matches with Daniel Bryan and Jack Swagger with Teddy's run in; and the set up of Piper's Pit during commercial break!

When Piper's famous bagpipes began to blare, the arena's roof was almost blown off by the applause. "Hot Rod" came out to the ring and savored the pop. He welcomed his guests – Cena and Orton. John came out first and assured the Hall of Famer that he would call the match down the middle. This brought out an angered Barrett who reminded John that he'd be fired if Barrett didn't win the match. Barrett even made John wear a Nexus "N" shirt in case this was his last night on Raw.

Then Randy came to the ring and told John he'd be glad to punt him in the skill to relieve him of his refereeing duties at Survivor Series. Randy then turned his attention to Barrett. He proceeded to punt Barrett into the next week when John reluctantly intervened. John ended up getting the best out of everyone with not one but two Attitude Adjustments on Randy and Wade leaving them lying. John celebrated in the ring to end the show.

As the credits rolled on the monitor in front of her, Mollie let out a huge breathe she didn't even know she was holding. Crew and stage hands were walking by giving her congratulatory gestures, while the Superstars and Divas did the same. But what meant the most to her was the approval of the man she could hear in her ears.

"Good job Garrison. Let's see where the ratings take us." The Chairman stated.

Mollie removed the headpiece, letting it hang around her neck. Now, she could relax, now she could breathe. Randy was the first from the curtain as he came back from selling the AA.

"Nice work Mollie. They really liked it out there." He smiled and gave her an oily, sweaty hug.

"Thank you." Mollie smiled as Randy walked away. She spotted Stu approaching her with a smile.

"I think it went well. Great job." He commented. He knew they weren't on the best of terms still so trying to be nice and making things simple suited the moment.

Mollie nodded a thank you. "It was a lot of hard work. But I'm not the only one. You guys had to sell it too."

"I think they're pleased." Stu said and left her to wait for John.

He came barreling through the curtain and grabbed her for a bear hug. "I'm so proud of you." He whispered in her ear as he held her close.

"Thank you." She smiled. "I'm so glad it's over." She giggled.

"You hungry?" John asked. Mollie nodded. "I'll shower and we can grab some room service."

"Oh, food, bed..." Mollie moaned. "That sounds delightful!"

They headed to the locker room so John could shower. While Mollie waited on the couch, she felt her phone vibrate. Many texts poured in from friends on Smackdown as well as her parents and friends. But the one she wanted to hear from was Brooklyn. She valued the opinion of her best friend in wrestling - besides John of course.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, one last text came in from Brooklyn.

_.EVER. You rock. Great job. Love you!_

Mollie smiled and replied to her friend, _Thank you! Love you too! _She began replying to the texts just as John emerged from the bathroom. He shook his head and her feverishly texting away.

"No more work tonight!" he exclaimed.

"It's not work...just thanking people for the kind words. I think it was a hit tonight!" Mollie exclaimed.

"More than a hit. You put together a fantastic show," John assured her as he gathered his gear. "You ready?"

"I sure am..." she smiled as she and John walked to the car hand in hand, relishing in a job well done.


	41. Chapter 41 Survivor Series

Sunday, November 21 – Miami, FL – Survivor Series

John's eyes opened before the alarm clock sounded. The day had finally arrived. John Cena would be "fired" from the WWE. While John knew that this was totally kayfabe, part of him couldn't help but be a little depressed. He imagined if this is what his real last day in the WWE would be like. Would he have a huge send off at Wrestlemania such as Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels, or would he just fade into the sunset?

The majority of his day would involve meeting with Vince, Randy, and Stu about how the match and ending would unfold. John looked over at Mollie who still lay sleeping beside him. He watched her breathe, her chest slowly rise and fall. Her red hair was finally starting to grow back out after being chopped off at the hospital, and it fell around her head on the pillow like a halo. She truly was his angel. He wasn't necessarily a religious person, but he definitely thanked God for sending her into his life.

"What are you staring at?" she asked with a yawn.

"I'm sorry…" he said with a smile. "Go back to sleep."

"Nope," she replied as she sat up and stretched. "I'm up now."

"Just thinking…" he told her.

"About what?" she asked.

He replied, "About everything."

"Care to share?" she asked.

"It's nothing really. I mean, I guess I've just worked so hard for all of this that if this were real, it's feels like shit either way." John sighed. "Today these last few months come to an end and I'm the one leaving. It doesn't seem right. I should be able to come out on top and be victorious and whoop some Nexus ass but..."

"But you're not Super Cena. You can't be all the time." Mollie smiled softly. She was really starting to get a feel for this business both past and present as well as know the future of the WWE's direction.

"I know and that's why when this whole NEXUS stuff started, I told Vince that it was only right to make people see that I'm only human, that I'm one man. I've never given up and I won't now. Tonight I'll play the fair card like I've been saying I will, just like the five of us all agreed on and I'm sure Randy and I will have a moment at the end. I love this place, this is my life and if this really were my final day here and not just some kayfabe I want to give them one final damn good show."

"And you will." Mollie sat up partially to slip him a sweet and tender kiss. When they broke apart, John nodded in agreement.

"I love you." He smiled.

"I love you too." She smiled back. "There's going to be a lot going on today. And I'm sure I won't really see you until show time, so good luck in case I don't get to say it later."

"Thanks Mollie. You mean the world to me, you know." John said, his tone soft and full of love.

"And you mean so much more to me." She replied. "Just think, a week to do nothing."

The idea sounded amazing to him. After tomorrow's episode of Raw, John and Mollie would ride to the airport with Brooklyn before heading to West Newbury. It was time for Mollie to see everything else that meant the world to him, to come home.

"I'm glad Vince gave you the time off." He said.

"And I still think you had something to do with that." Mollie laughed. John quickly feigned innocence. "But I am glad too."

"Are you picking B up from the airport or is she getting a car?" John asked.

"She's being picked up by a driver." Mollie answered. "I'm swamped this morning with meetings and I have to pull all the PA's together for a meeting."

"Oh." John said. He looked over at the clock and sighed. It was still early enough to get some gym time in. "Do you mind if we go eat here shortly so I can burn some time with the weights at the arena for my meetings start?"

"Not at all baby. Let's go shower." She winked.

After their shower, Mollie and John hurried down to the hotel's restaurant for a quick breakfast. Then they separated for the day's activities. John headed to the gym while Mollie headed to the arena for her meetings.

John went to the gym and began going through his usual pre-PPV match workout routine when he saw The Viper slip into the gym incognito. John didn't bother Randy because he knew Randy would want to be alone. Both acknowledged each other with a nod and began their workouts.

Half an hour later, Randy finished his workout and walked over to John. John was finishing his routine as well.

"So…" Randy began. "Are you prepared for tonight?"

"I think so," John replied honestly.

Randy eyed his friend suspiciously. He had known John for many years going back to their days in OVW. He knew John Cena was normally up for anything. This, however, was a side of his friend he had never seen before.

"Do I sense hesitation from the almighty?" Randy tried joking.

"Definitely." John answered honestly.

"What's up?" Randy asked, offering a listening ear.

"For something that is going to be so finely tuned and scripted, this feels pretty real." John answered honestly. Randy nodded. "I've worked for this my entire life and now I'm just walking away."

"But you're not. You get a week off and Juan Cena is going to grace our presence." Randy joked.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that isn't going to over as well as we hope." John actually laughed.

"I have to admit," Randy laughed, "I'm going to have a hard time not breaking character with you looking like Rey."

"YOU! What about me?" John laughed again.

"So…" Randy continued, "Have you got your speech for tomorrow night?"

"In my head pretty much," John replied.

"Now don't go out there and start crying like Shawn," Randy said with a pat on the back to his friend. "You'll have ME crying in the back, and we can't have that."

"Yeah man…" John laughed and nodded.

"I'll see you later at the arena," Randy bid John farewell and left him to this thoughts.

Meanwhile, Mollie was moving from one meeting to the next. Just as she passed by the talent entrance, the door opened and in walked an excited brunette. She knew it was Brooklyn.

"Have no fear, Brooklyn Greene is here!" She laughed as she saw her best friend near the door.

"Oh God." Mollie chuckled with a roll of her eyes. "I'm so glad you're here." She hugged her.

"Me too. My flight sucked." Brooklyn giggled. "So what's up?"

"I'm in between meetings right now. Want to grab some coffee in catering before I have to go?" Mollie suggested.

"Absolutely and you must fill me in on the gossip I've missed." Brooklyn seemed happy and cheerful. She seemed like she was excited to be back around the company she loved and the people she deemed her friends.

"Only if you fill me in on the move and FCW." Mollie agreed.

"Let the gabbing being." Brooklyn hooked her arm through Mollie's elbow and the two girls laughed all the way to catering.

"So, is John ready for tonight?" Brooklyn asked.

"I think so…" Mollie replied. "He's…just…"

"…kinda reflective about the whole thing?" Brooklyn finished her sentence. "Yeah…that's John. He's just that way."

"You'd think he was really leaving!" Mollie told her friend.

"It's because he takes everything to heart so much. He's so passionate about every single thing he does. And when he really cares about something or someone…you just know. You can tell by his work in the ring and about how he is with you," Brooklyn explained. Mollie raised an eyebrow to her friend, so Brooklyn continued, "When you were in the hospital, he rarely left your side. Randy told me later that when I first called him to tell him what happened, John was literally sick. Randy had never seen him so emotionally attached to anyone – even Liz. That boy loves you – truly, madly, deeply."

Mollie smiled. Having John there during the most trying time in her life was such a blessing. She thanked the Lord every day for him.

"So how did the move go?" Mollie asked.

"It was okay. A little heartbreaking for my mother. But I'm happy to be starting over in a way. My condo is really cute. It's a three bedroom two bath that's not too far from FCW in this small gated community. I've got a few more boxes to unpack just because I've been lazy and super tired after leaving the training facility." Brooklyn replied. "But I like it."

"Speaking of FCW, how's it going?" The happy red head asked.

"It's going. It was kinda lonely and I had some anxiety my first couple of days, but it's been a decent experience I guess. The talents are there to work and most of them are focused. I'm in charge of the Divas there and I run the promo clinics. I guess those acting classes in high school and college paid off finally." Brooklyn laughed.

"Are you kidding me? There was a reason why John suggested you for the position. You're one of the best Divas around here. You, Nattie, Beth and even Eve are killer around here. It was only fitting that you be there if you weren't going to be here." Mollie complimented.

Brooklyn smiled. The praise from her best friend really gave her an extra boost of self confidence. "Thanks Mollie. So, are you looking forward to going to John's Dad's for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah. I mean, now that its closer I guess I'm less anxious and more excited for a break." Mollie smiled. The girls had talked briefly about the situation in conversations and texts prior. "You never did tell me what you were doing for Thanksgiving."

"Ha, well I'm off the rest of this week but I think I'm just going to sit at home, watch the parade and have a turkey sandwich. I'll be fat and happy on my couch with football too." Brooklyn smiled.

"Anything new between you and Stu?" Mollie was afraid to ask.

"No. He's called a couple times and texted me just to say what's up. It's just hard. He mentioned something about getting together over the break but I'm not ready for that yet." Brooklyn sighed.

"I think it will come in time," Mollie told her friend.

Brooklyn only shrugged as the girls continued talking and catching up. Then Mollie left for her string of meetings while Brooklyn went back to the hotel to rest and freshen up before the coming back to the arena.

Mollie was put in charge of all the production assistants for the show, so she rounded them all up for a meeting about tonight's events. Of course she wanted the entire show to go off without a hitch, but she wanted to make sure the camerawork conveyed the seriousness and the emotion of the situation. This was "supposedly" John Cena's last name in the WWE. Everyone had to "feel it."

Once Mollie handled the quick run through with the production assistants she managed to squeeze a couple moments with John before he had to head off to COC.

She knocked on the door to his locker room and waited for his permission to enter. When he called for her to enter she smiled as she saw him just kicking back and relaxing on the couch provided. As John noticed it was Mollie calling for him, he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey baby." He stood to envelop her in a tight hug. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, they separated and sat on the couch.

"How 'ya doing?" She asked warmly snuggling into him as he put his arm around her.

"Good. I'm ready." He smiled. "Now I just wait it out. How's things going for you?"

"Vince has me running around today. I had the PA meeting then I needed to get some appearance schedules from Stephanie. I just finished up with the production assistants and managed to sneak some girl talk time with B before then." Mollie smiled.

"She's here already?" John asked.

Mollie nodded. "She headed back to the hotel for a bit before coming back."

"Good. I have a feeling that it's going to be a late night." John sighed.

"You're not thinking of going out are you?" Mollie asked.

"I don't know. We'll see how it goes. You and I might just call it a night and head back afterwards." John pointed out. "Stay in the zone for tomorrow, you know."

Mollie nodded. She was about to continue the conversation when her BlackBerry buzzed in the pocket of her slacks. Sighing deeply she sat up and checked her message. "Vince needs me. I have to go. I think he and Paul are sharing directorial duties tonight. I swear, I started out with one job and moved to everyone's dang assistant."

"But you're really good at what you do, honey. Don't let it get to you. He's testing you. Win the battle." John laughed. He knew that Mollie was wearing thin with all of her new responsibilities but the plus side to it all was that it was a step up in the company for her and that's what she was striving for. The downfall was the amount of work. "Vacation is less than 2 days away."

"Praise the Lord." Mollie smirked and gave John a deep kiss that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "I love you. I'll see you later."

John nodded and watched her walk away.

After John's Circle of Champions meet & greet, it was time for the show. Brooklyn found Mollie backstage and the two of them watched from a monitor. Brooklyn tried to make it back to the arena in time to see John but she didn't quite make it. She knew John was already in "the zone" so she didn't disturb him.

"You look well rested," Mollie noted.

"I went to the gym for a while and crashed when I got back to the hotel. I almost overslept. I guess that flight was crappier than I thought," Brooklyn laughed.

Mollie turned her attention back to the show as it began. John Morrison and Sheamus started the show with a bang. Their match was a "match of the year" candidate tore the house down with JoMo winning and becoming the number one contender for the WWE Championship.

Brooklyn was ecstatic to see her friend Nattie step up and take the brass ring by winning the Divas' Championship. Emotion poured down Nattie's face in the form of tears as she celebrated.

"Atta Girl!" Brooklyn exclaimed. She knew she had to go find her friend as soon as she came backstage.

New Tag Team Champions Justin Gabriel & Heath Slater defeated former champions Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov. Then in the only traditional Survivor Series Elimination match Team Mysterio defeated Team Del Rio. Dolph Ziggler defeated challenger Kaval to retain the Intercontinental Championship while Teddy lost in his bid to become US Champion and lost to Daniel Bryan.

"What has Teddy done to piss off creative?" Brooklyn asked.

"I don't know. I haven't heard of anything," Mollie replied.

"Hmmm." Brooklyn hummed.

The girls went on to watched how Adam and Glen put on a good match as Edge and Kane for the World Heavy Weight Championship with Glen's Kane coming out on top, retaining the title.

"The video package is next." Mollie sighed. The time was coming for John's match as special guest referee as Randy and Stu competed. Brooklyn stood by her friend and they watched the last few months of this feuds culmination come to an end in order to set up tonight's match for the WWE Championship.

By the time the footage was nearly finished, John, Randy and Stu were standing near the Gorilla and near the girls. Brooklyn gave John a quick nod as his theme started. Mollie just lightly touched his arm and he returned a gentle smile, knowing there were no words needed to be exchanged. She was sending her wishes and love by simple touch.

Stu stood by B closely. "Good luck out there. Be careful." She warmly smiled at him.

He felt his chest swell a little with pride as he broke character momentarily. "Thank you."

The gorilla assistant called for him to go and just as quick as he arrived, he was gone.

"Go get 'em Rand." Brooklyn smirked to her long time friend as he was the final entrant of the night to the sold out crowd. Randy simply nodded and stepped behind the curtain.

Once Randy made his mark, the girls sat down getting ready for the emotional ride that was about to come.

"Here we go…" Mollie said to herself. Brooklyn grabbed her friend's hand and held it during the entire match.

The action went back and forth for a while until Randy began to get the upper hand. Wade became frustrated and shoved John. This time John, knowing that he was going to be either free or fired tonight, shoved Wade back. This gave Randy the opportunity he needed to level Barrett. John leaped into action and counted – 1…2… - then showed a moment of hesitation before slamming his hand down that fateful third time. Randy stood and celebrated his victory as John sat with his head in his hands and the reality of the situation crashed down around him. John then stood and faced Randy. The Viper and The Champ shared an out of character embrace as Randy left the ring.

"Wow…" Brooklyn said.

"Look at the crowd…" Mollie noted. The fans were in shock. They never expected John to be fired. They thought Wade would win and thus the feud would continue.

John saluted the crowd "one last time" and then climbed out of the ring. To show the realness of the situation, John hugged three people in the crowd – announcer Michael Cole, Rick the WWE Sign Guy, and Nick the Orange & Green Sign Guy. John saluted the crowd at the top of the ramp and disappeared backstage as the show rolled credits.

Stu had been first through the curtain after the match and he'd stood by with Mollie and Brooklyn, along with the rest of anyone still on hand. Randy had left to give John his 'final moment' and waited with everyone else. When John finally came through the curtain, he went straight to Mollie.

"I'm proud of you." She smiled at him warmly. His hug was tight and long.

"We all are." Brooklyn smiled at him when the couple broke apart.

All around them people were buzzing about the match and congratulating John, Randy and Stu for bringing the house down to close off the pay per view.

"Thank you…" John replied warmly. Then he turned to Mollie, "I think tonight calls for a celebration."

Mollie couldn't deny him. He was happy with how he and the guys had told a great story in the ring, and he wanted to celebrate with his friends.

"You've got it," Mollie smiled.

After everyone showered and changed John, Mollie, Brooklyn and Randy were about to leave. Stu was packing his gear in the locker room, not expecting an invitation. Brooklyn turned to the group and said, "I think Stu should come, too."

Everyone was surprised at the outreach to her ex, but Mollie replied, "Sure…go get him."

Brooklyn left the group and walked in the locker room. She caught Stu before he walked out the door.

"Got any plans?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "Just going to go back to the hotel."

"Would you like to come with us?" Brooklyn asked.

Stu was taken aback. He wasn't quite sure how to answer. "Are you sure?"

Brooklyn asked, "It's a celebratory dinner with friends. You guys did such a great job tonight that you deserve it."

"I'd be happy to go," Stu answered as he grabbed his gear and headed with Brooklyn to meet the group.


	42. Chapter 42 Here Comes Goodbye

A/N: Well, here it is. The last chapter. This time it IS the last chapter. Until the sequel that is. No timetable on the sequel but it will come. Thank you for all of your great reviews on this story. Very much appreciated. For the very last time…we only own the OC's. ~ The Team

That night, the entire crew went to a local steakhouse and ate a huge meal. John insisted on paying for everyone's meal, and no one turned him down. After the meal, everyone retired to their respective rooms.

The next morning, once again John awoke before Mollie. This time, he let her sleep while he stepped out onto the balcony to call his father and mother. He called his mom first.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hi Mom," John replied.

"Hi son," Carol said. "How are you?"

"I'm good. I didn't call too early, did I?" John asked.

"Oh no…" Carol told her second eldest. "I've been up a little while. What's up?"

"I just wanted to remind you that I'm bringing Mollie. I really want you to meet her. You're going to love her," John told Carol.

"I'm sure I will, son," she replied.

The two chatted for a little while and then John called his father. He knew he could discuss work with his father. His mother never really quite "got" what he did, even though she did now support him.

"Hey Pop." John said into the phone.

"Hey son." Fabo said on the other line. "Good work last night."

"Thanks." John sighed.

"Something the matter son?" Fabo asked his namesake.

"Nothing. Last night was hard. Tonight's going to be even harder," John admitted.

"It's just word, John. I've never seen you get so emotionally involved in a story, except maybe when Adam slapped me around," Fabo joked.

"Yeah…and then when Randy kicked your head in," John remembered.

"Ouch…don't remind me," his father laughed.

"Well, those weren't so real to me," John explained. "I knew you were ok in both those instances. This is so different because it could be a mirror into the future. You know…when I do decide to hang it up."

"But that's possibly twenty years from now, John." Fabo sighed. "Take tonight with a grain of salt. I assure you, when you do hang it up, you'll go out with a bang and will be because you've won the most and best matches of your career. Not because some group of kayfabe punks and their fearless leader defeated you."

John smiled. His father always was the voice of reason. "Thanks Pop. I really needed that."

"Anytime kiddo." Fabo said sincerely. "How's my favorite red head doing?"

"Mollie? She's great. She's still sleeping. We've been pretty busy and on the go since Europe. This week off will be a blessing." John stated.

"Well, we're looking forward to having you home. I've heard your mother is excited you'll finally be around for her birthday."

"Yeah, I just hung up the phone with her. She's pretty excited," John replied. "I'll let you go. Got a busy day. We've gotta catch a short flight up to Orlando and then the craziness of the day."

"I'll be watching tonight," Fabo said.

"Bye Dad," John said as he hung up the phone and felt two dainty arms wrap around his shoulders from the back.

"Good morning…" Mollie whispered in his ear.

"Good morning baby…" John replied. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good," she told him. "What about you?"

"Decent." He smiled. "Our flight leaves soon. We should probably get ready to go. Why don't you see if B is up and we can all head down together?"

Mollie nodded. She knew John would be preoccupied for most of the day in his thoughts and half expected him to be somber like her was so whatever he asked, she would oblige.

After a quick shower, John exchanged rooms with Mollie so she could get ready. Brooklyn came knocking just before the two headed for the elevator. Together, the party of three headed for check out and breakfast.

The plane to Orlando was loaded with WWE personnel only. Once landed, the mega company's staff rented their cars and ventured to the arena. John and Mollie shared a ride with Brooklyn while Stu rode with his NEXUS counterparts.

They arrived at their Orlando hotel and everyone got checked in. John was staying with Randy so Brooklyn could room with Mollie. Nexus roomed together per usual. After getting checked in, everyone headed their own separate ways for a while. Several guys from Nexus were going to hit up the gym while Randy and John both had media phone calls to make and meetings. This left Brooklyn and Mollie to think about what to do.

"So, I need something to wear tonight. What do you say we go shopping?" Brooklyn suggested.

"Oh, that will be a blessing. I'm not needed for a while." Mollie smiled. "I don't have to be back here until 3."

"Perfect!" Brooklyn smirked.

Again, arm and arm the girls left again. Mollie drove as Brooklyn delegated directions via the GPS. Eventually they ended up at a shopping center that had boutiques and fun little trinket shops.

"So, that was really nice of you to invite Stu last night." Mollie stated.

"Yeah, well, I guess we're friends so it was only right...right? Besides, he was a huge part of the night too. It was only fair he celebrate with everyone else." Brooklyn smiled. "It was too nice of John to pick up the whole tab."

"I know. He's almost too generous sometimes." Mollie laughed. She plucked a cute dress off of the rack in front of her and held it up to herself.

"What's that for?" B asked.

"I need a cute dress to wear on Thursday. I have things packed, but I guess I'm just looking for something new. I've been too frugal since starting this job. It might be time to splurge on an outfit or something." Mollie replied.

Brooklyn smiled. Of all people in the world, Mollie was probably the most frugal person she'd ever met. The thought of her even attempting to splurge on something for her was one to make the former Diva smile. "I think you should try it on."

This dress was a simple purple sweater dress that could be worn with boots and leggings. It would be nice to wear to Fabo's house for dinner. But, Mollie also let her eyes wander to another, sexier rack of dresses.

"What are you looking at?" Brooklyn asked.

"Oh nothing…" Mollie brushed it off while she walked to the dressing room. She quickly tried on the sweater dress and came back out for B's approval.

"That looks great!" Brooklyn exclaimed. "It looks so good with your hair."

"I think I'll get it," Mollie decided but her eyes wandered once again to the other rack.

Brooklyn huffed, "Tell me what you're looking at over there!"

"See that green dress?" Mollie asked. Brooklyn looked and spotted the dress that had caught her friend's eye. It was a knee-length, emerald green, spaghetti strap party dress.

"That is so pretty…" Brooklyn shrieked as she walked to the rack and picked up the dress. "Yes…you will try this on."

"I don't know…" Mollie told her.

"Why not?" Brooklyn asked. "It won't hurt to try it on."

And before Mollie could protest further, Brooklyn shoved the dress into Mollie's hands and pushed the red head into her dressing room, barricading the door with her stronger frame.

"Try it on and you're not coming out until you do!" Brooklyn laughed.

Mollie laughed back at her and playfully rolled her eyes. She slipped out of the sweater dress and into the green one. "Alright, I'm ready." She stepped out and Brooklyn grinned.

The green fabric clung to Mollie's curves and gave her a killer hourglass shape. She seemed insecure in it however and Brooklyn wanted to make sure she convinced her she looked great.

"Mollie, that looks killer on you. You have to get it. John will just die." Brooklyn complimented. "Please buy it, please!"

"I don't know... I feel..." Mollie was looking for the right word.

"Sexy, beautiful, gorgeous, enamoring. I can keep going. Just get it!" Brooklyn laughed.

"Fine." Mollie rolled her eyes. She stepped back into the dressing room and changed back into her clothes.

After paying for their items, the girls moved onto a couple of other places just to window shop. But Brooklyn convinced Mollie to get a matching pair of shoes to the green dress and some cute accessories to go with the purple sweater dress.

Eventually, the two women had to head back to the arena but that wasn't to say that they hadn't shopped until they dropped. Mollie had to bid Brooklyn farewell while she headed to her meetings. Since Mollie would be sitting out front tonight to hear John's speech, she had to hand off her backstage duties to a production assistant. She had to fill this PA in on everything she did because she for sure wanted this show to go off without a hitch. John and Randy also had their creative meeting and then John had COC. Mollie wouldn't be able to see John until right before the show began.

Brooklyn kept herself occupied while working from her Blackberry. She was planning her seminars for her FCW students for the next week. She had to email her lesson plan to Dusty Rhodes as soon as possible for him to approve.

Mollie left her PA meeting when she felt her Blackberry vibrate. She read the text and immediately felt her stomach hit the floor.

_Please meet John Laurinaitis in catering right now._

"What have I done?" she said to herself. John Laurinaitis was the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE and Mollie's boss. They had a great working relationship, but she always dreaded being "called to the principal's office."

"Johnny Ace" was finishing a sandwich when he saw Mollie coming to the table. He immediately stood to greet her. "Mollie," he said as he shook her hand.

"Mr. Laurinaitis," she replied as he motioned for her to sit down.

"Mollie, Mr. McMahon wanted me to speak to you. Your name has come up in conversation for the position of my executive assistant. I'm authorized to offer the position to you," he began.

The news shocked her. This was a huge promotion for her. Never in her life had she imagined that so soon into this business she'd have come this far in such a short amount of time. Not long ago, she was rapidly answering phones at the global headquarters of an elite business Mecca. But then a shadow was cast over her thoughts. Was she receiving the position because of whom she was dating? If that were the case, she wouldn't want it.

"Sir, not to sound rude or speak out of line here, but, why me?" Mollie asked.

"If you're thinking that it's because of your personal position within this company, you're wrong. But the reason why you've been selected is because you're the best for the position." John explained. "You've been nothing but accommodating to the requests and assignments given, you've managed to run a tight ship in the absence of key players and you've also shown great strength in a job you started out knowing little about."

"What would this job entail as with travel?" Mollie asked.

John told her, "Well, Raw on Mondays and Smackdown on Tuesdays then Wednesday through Friday in Stamford. You'll be off on Saturdays then Sundays will be travel days unless we have a pay-per-view." Mollie took a deep breath. That was an incredible travel schedule.

"Do I have to give you an answer now?" Mollie asked.

"No, but we will need to know something by the end of the week," he informed her.

"I'll think about it and let you know something in a couple of days," Mollie smiled. "And thank you once again for the consideration."

"You're welcome, Mollie," Mr. Laurinaitis replied with a handshake. He then grabbed his briefcase and left Mollie in her thoughts. This was an amazing opportunity that would take great thought. She loved her job and being so close to the Raw crew, but this was a great chance for advancement. The next couple of days would be interesting.

She sat there for a moment longer, collecting her thoughts and sorting out the scenario in her mind. Telling John could wait until after tonight. He needed to focus on his promo tonight. With a deep sigh, she stood and left catering.

On her way towards the locker rooms, she texted Brooklyn to see if she was ready to head to their seats. It was nearly show time and the arena was at max capacity. Brooklyn replied that she'd meet her just outside John's locker room in less than five minutes. With a nod to herself, Mollie knocked on the door to his locker room.

When he said to enter, she did so and found Randy and Stu in there as well. In a way she felt relief wash over her because if she were alone with him, she'd be forced to tell him of her new job offer but thankfully the boys provided a much deserved distraction.

"Hey baby." John smiled and pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Hey." Mollie smiled up at him then waved to the others.

"I thought you'd be to your seats by now." John commented.

"B is on her way here. We'll walk out together." Mollie sighed. "You good to go with everything?"

John nodded. "I think so. I'm just going to wing it really. I have key points but we'll see how the fans go with it and I'll cut it from there."

It was now Mollie's turn to nod. "Alright."

Another knock sounded and Randy went to answer. He opened the door to find a girl with black, thick hair and heavy bangs over her brown eyes. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, dummy, you can let me in." Brooklyn rolled her eyes.

Randy just laughed at the latest extreme to come from his friend. "I'll see you guys out there."

"Please tell me that's a wig." Mollie groaned.

"Yes. Because in the two hours that it's been since I've seen you, I've had the time to die and style my hair!" Brooklyn joked.

Mollie laughed and rolled her eyes. "But the contacts, really?'

"It's not my night. And I don't want to be mobbed by any horny pubescent boys. I want to be there for my best friend and focus on her man for the night." Brooklyn smiled.

Stu just stood by watching her. He had to admit, he liked the dark locks on Brooklyn but what caught his eye the most was how she seemed to smile. And it was genuine. "I'm going to go. I'll see you out there." He said and left, giving Brooklyn a half smile on the way out the door.

B sighed. "I'll leave you two for a minute, but Mollie the clock is ticking."

Mollie nodded and waited until Brooklyn left. "I love you. And good luck, okay?"

John didn't need to say a word. He just nodded and smiled softly at her as he brought his lips to hers, giving her a deep, toe-curling kiss.

With a wink, Mollie left his side and left him to center himself. "Let's go." She said to Brooklyn.

Being escorted by a WWE security official, Mollie and Brooklyn took their seats just behind Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. After getting settled and situated, Brooklyn noticed Mollie's distant look.

"Alright, what's going on with you?" She asked.

"I…uh…I got offered a promotion tonight," Mollie stammered.

"Really? What?" her friend exclaimed.

"I was offered the job of being Johnny Ace's executive assistant," Mollie replied.

Brooklyn asked, "Wow…and why aren't you jumping for joy?"

Mollie explained the extended travel schedule as well as the numerous additional responsibilities. "See…"

Brooklyn replied, "I don't understand what the fuss is all about. You're good at what you do and they see that. What does John think?"

"He doesn't know yet."

"Oh…" Brooklyn said.

"I've got a couple of days to tell them yes or no. I really want to talk to him about it," Mollie said.

The opening credits of the show began to run and the girls turned their attention to the ring. Randy & Stu faced off after Stu's loss the night before in Miami. He complained that John had been plotting against him the entire time. When the crowd showed their obvious displeasure at the events that unfolded at Survivor Series, Stu informed the crowd that he was graciously allowing John to address the WWE Universe one last time.

Mollie's stomach flipped and Brooklyn's heart raced at the mention of 'one last time'. As Stu continued to cut his promo, the anticipation of John's final moment built throughout the arena.

The show cut to commercial and upon its return, Sheamus and R-Truth went headed to head in a King of the Ring tournament qualifying match. The King of the Ring tournament would make its return the following week during Raw. Sheamus advanced, leaving Truth behind for another year.

After a couple short promos with LayCool and Santino and Kozlov, the Tron showed Josh Matthews standing by with Randy Orton. Josh asked Randy if he could successfully defend his WWE championship tonight. Randy replied saying that he respected Cena for calling last night's match down the middle, but that it doesn't matter who the referee was tonight. He guaranteed that Barrett wouldn't leave with the WWE championship.

After Randy's interview, there was a King of the Ring qualifying match with Ezekiel Jackson vs. The Miz. Alex Riley, however, came out to Miz's music and informed the crowd that he would be serving as Miz's replacement tonight. The Miz had suffered "an anxiety attack." Big Zeke picked up the quick win.

As Cole & Lawler were hyping that night's main event, John was shown on the Tron talking to R-Truth and Eve. Then Santino, Gail Kim, and Yoshi Tatsu come up to hug John and tell him goodbye. Mollie's heart began to race. This was it. After the commercial, John would give his goodbye speech.

After the commercial, Justin Roberts introduced John to an enormous pop from the crowd. Brooklyn and Mollie jumped to their feet just as everyone else did in the arena. John emerged onto the ramp and saluted the crowd. He ran to the ring, slid under the bottom rope, and soaked in the crowd. He then rang the ring ropes as usual and then threw his hat into the crowd.

For the first time in a long time, John's nerves flipped his stomach as his veins pumped wildly with an odd mix of adrenaline and anxiety. He looked on in the crowd, as if observing each filled seat. Then he looked just behind Cole and Lawler to see Mollie and Brooklyn in their own ovation. It warmed his heart. Taking a mic from someone near by, he raised it to his lips and smiled.

John began, "See, if you're gonna go out, that's how you go out. Not in a referee shirt, not carrying somebody's bags. If I'm leaving, I'm leaving just like that!"

A "Cena" chant broke out in the arena.

"Just in case you've been locked in sports entertainment solitary confinement, Randy Orton is still the WWE Champion. That means I'm fired." A chorus of boos rang out through the arena. "Uh, a decision that was, was probably, but I'll be honest with you. I…I didn't think it would happen. You know what, forget about it. Before I got this job I was living in my car cleaning toilets. I didn't think any of this would happen."

"Over the years, you guys have, uh; you've kinda got to know me, uh. Here's the deal, though. You only see what you see on TV. Uh, there's…there's a lot about me…about everyone else that you obviously don't know. I got a few seconds so I need to tell you one thing. You guys have no idea how much I respect this company. Not, not just this company today, but every single person who's allowed me to be here today. Guys like Steve Austin, guys like Triple H, guys like the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, guys like The Undertaker. See, when I got a chance here in the WWE, championships were one thing but my goal at the end of the day was to look each and every one of those guys in the eye and for them to say back to me, 'Kid, you're alright.'"

"I'm out here tonight with a smile on my face. I know some of you guys think I got a bad deal outta this. This is…us…actually been pretty wonderful. I've got to dance in this ring with hall of famers. I've got to travel the world. I've got to meet millions and millions of people and quite frankly I've got to live out a fantasy. So I am not going to let what Nexus has been doing for the past two months ruin what has been the greatest nine years of my life."

"One…one thing you guys may not know is that life moves pretty fast here in the WWE. I remember when I started; the WWE was a very big part of my life. And then the WWE became my life. It was by my choice. I wanted to give every single thing I had to each and every one of you every time I stepped in these ropes. That takes sacrifice. My family has been so patient with me. They…us…they've kinda stepped back and let me be me. And they're ok with it. Here's the truth, though, my brother Matt…he just has a baby girl…and I missed it. Uh…my mom's birthday is in a couple days. I'm a…I'm a leave here tonight and I'm going to West Newberry. And Matt & Cov, I'm sorry that I missed Shelby being born. I heard she's big…9 pounds 7 ounces, but I'm coming to see her for the first time. And my mom is going to get the best birthday present she's had in ten years because I'm gonna be there. And I'm gonna hug her and tell her I love her, and all the money in the world can't buy her that."

John was visibly choking back tears which touched Mollie to her soul. A Cena chant broke out in the arena once again. She turned to Brooklyn and said, "He's really upset."

Brooklyn replied, "Yeah, he's nervous too. I've never heard him stammer so much."

John continued, "You guys are being nice. I look like an idiot up here. You know what? Forget it. If I look like an idiot, I'm gonna be an idiot."

"One thing I always really loved about you guys is that you're always…you're always honest. And if I'm walking outta here one more time I just wanna hear half the arena say, 'Let's go Cena' and the other half say…actually you know what. If we're gonna do it…if we're gonna do it we're gonna do it right. I want every woman and every child to say, 'Let's go Cena', and I want every guy over the age of 18 to say, 'Cena sucks.' Is that alright?"

The chant didn't exactly go as John planned so he stopped the crowd.

"Hold on…hold on. If we're gonna do it, we've gotta do it right. It's 'Let's go Cena' from the ladies and kids and 'Cena Sucks' from the dudes. Who do you think can be louder? 'Let's go Cena!' 'Cena sucks!'" The chant went back and forth a few times, and John soaked it in. The camera caught him saying, "That's good," to himself.

John raised the mic back up and said, "That…that is beautiful. Thank you very much. Remember everybody out there; it's your passion that keeps all of us coming back. And every single time I heard that from each one of you, I know I earned it. No matter what the chant was. I just wanna take one second before I leave and say something to Wade Barrett.

Another chorus of boos rang out through the arena.

"I know, but here's…here's the shame of it all. I actually think the kid's got a little bit of talent and I'm trying to help him out before I leave. You see, Wade, do yourself a favor. Take a bit of advice from a grizzled, disgruntled, ex-employee who wears purple and – John looked directly at the camera – may have peed in your coffee once our twice. Stop taking short cuts. Stop trying to take the easy way out. You see because these…these fans will give you everything if you give everything in return. Success in this business is due to consistent performance, day in and day out. You give them everything…they will give everything back to you. They're probably gonna fine me but I'm already first. Wade – once again John looked at the camera – karma's a bitch." John was obviously bleeped at that moment. "And if you keep taking short cuts, trust me. It's gonna come back to haunt you."

"Billy Kidman's probably about ready to strangle himself because I'm way over what they told me. But, I could go into thank yous. That's gonna take all night. So, I'm gonna save the thank you list to one very important thank you – the WWE Universe. Thank you for letting me share my life with you guys…" He then pulled his dog tags out from under his shirt. "…for the past nine years. Thank you for understanding all this. For standing up for the WWE, for showing up every day. Thank you for watching every Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday…whenever the hell we're on. Thank you for allowing idiots like me to come out and live this wonderful, wonderful dream. All of his is because of you."

John then turned to Mollie, who was wiping away tears with a smile. He said, "I Love you to death…" Then he kissed his dog tags. "Let's go home."

Highly emotional, John walked backstage after a final kiss of the dog tags and salute at the top of the ramp. He made eye contact with Mollie one last time before turning on his heel and walking away.

Brooklyn and Mollie stood there, clapping and crying all the same as the Titantron showed John heading from the hallways to the loading docks where the rest of the Raw roster applauding him and waiting to say goodbye. A few of Brooklyn's Diva friends were crying along with the emotional moment and John's buddies seemed to be nostalgic. John shook hands and gave hugs and said something about how someone owed him. Then at the end of a long receiving line, Randy Orton stood waiting. Randy stopped him and the two shared a hand shake and a hug before John made his way down and out of the arena with Stu mimicking John's 'You Can't See Me' hand movement behind his back.

The camera faded to commercial and John walked back into the building. By this time, Mollie and Brooklyn were backstage waiting on him. He jogged up to Mollie and hugged her tightly. Then he hugged Brooklyn.

"That was amazing," Brooklyn told her friend.

"Everyone was eating out of the palm of your hand," Mollie concurred as she wiped a few tears.

"I think they bought it. And Mollie, I meant every word of that to you," John said to his girl. He kissed her forehead. "I love you to death, and as soon as this show's over we're going home."

Mollie smiled as she looked up into John's eyes. She could look into those beautiful blue eyes for the rest of her life. Brooklyn smiled as her two friends as everyone else gathered around for congratulations. Then everyone's attention turned to the rest of the show. Daniel Bryan defeated Teddy for a KOTR spot, Nattie defeated Alicia Fox, and John Morrison defeated Tyson Kidd for the last KOTR spot of the night.

Then it was time for the main event. Randy vs. Stu for the WWE championship. Both competitors stood behind the Tron getting ready to go out. Both were in their respective zones and waited for their music.

Stu was introduced first and then Randy. As Randy made his way to the ring, he was attacked by the Nexus on the ramp. He tried to fend them off but fell prey to the numbers game. Husky Harris also managed to get in a pretty stiff kick to Randy's knee which crumpled him in real pain. However, he stood up and limped to the ring to begin the match.

The two men circled each other cautiously and began the match. Later on, John Cena cut through the crowd and snuck into the ring. He grabbed his nemesis and slammed him back down to the mat with an Attitude Adjustment. Randy then laid Stu out with an RKO and retained the title for a moment. Stu chased John through the crowd and out of the camera shot. Nexus continued their savage beat down of Randy when The Miz rushed to the ring and cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase. Randy had been through too much in one night and lost the title to The Awesome One.

As the crowd sat in stunned silence, the camera panned to one angry girl in the audience. Her face pretty much summed up how the fans felt about this moment. Then the camera faded to black and they were off the air.

Everyone was abuzz about what had just happened. A lot of people didn't know Mike was cashing in tonight, so this was quite a surprise. Randy immediately went to the trainer's room to have his knee seen about. After he was given some ice and anti-inflammatory medication, he met everyone backstage.

"Well…" Brooklyn said to Randy, Stu, Mollie, and John. "Are we going out tonight?"

"I don't think so tonight," Randy winced. "I think I'm headed back to the hotel to crash."

"Take care, man," John said as he shook Randy's hand and hugged his best friend.

"I'll see you two next week," Randy smirked as he grabbed his gear and left.

"Do you want to go get a cup of coffee?" Stu asked Brooklyn, hopeful she'd say yes.

Brooklyn thought for a moment and replied, "Yeah." She then turned to John and Mollie, "I'll see you guys soon. I promise. Rest up this week."

"We will," John answered. Brooklyn and Stu then left Mollie and John all alone. "So Miss Garrison, how about you and I head to Tampa?"

"Well, Mr. Cena, that sounds pretty awesome," Mollie grinned. The two of them laced fingers and walked toward their rental car. Over the past months, Mollie Garrison had gone from scared and heartbroken to happy and in love. In a weird way, she was thankful for everything that had happened. It had given her the way to a better life.


End file.
